


Interwoven

by EchoingHowls



Series: Inter- [2]
Category: Banana Bus Squad
Genre: #WingManMarcel, 0 to gay real fast, ADMITTING GAY???, ALS Character, Abuse, Actually way too many, Admitting love?, Adorable Innocence, Aesexual? More like GAYsexual!, Alternate Universe - High School, Angst, Anxiety, Audible wink, Author Is Sleep Deprived, Avoidance, Bad Flirting, Bet you won't, Bi-Curiosity, Bills, Broken nose, Bullying, But they're too innocent for anything bad, Can you tell?, Caretaking, Child Abuse, Children are rude, Christmas decorating but really late, Confrontations, Craig and Marcel, Craig got game, Cutting, Dang it they're adorable, Deaf Character, Disowning, Don't trust that chapter number it may change, Donuts, Especially with love, Evan has feelings?, Evan's Song, Evan?, Evil Laughter, Feelings, Fidgeting, Flirting, Forced speaking, Gay Character, Gen, Gift Giving, HIGH KEY ANGST, Harry Potter References, High key time skip, Hobbies, House Cleaning, I doubt anyone reads these, Ignore that last one, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Jealousy, Jellyfish, Lol U Thought, Lol only to Marcel, Lol they love Harry Potter, Lots of dappled fluff, Low Self Esteem, M/M, Maybe - Freeform, Mental Breakdown, Mental Instability, Mental Institutions, More Death, Moving, Moving Away, Muteness, Mysterious Family, New Year's Eve, New Year's Kiss, Night Terrors, Oh yeah Evan likes Clue way too much, Only now realizing how angsty Evan is, Only old people get that reference, Oops, Panic Attacks, Parent Death, Phone Calls & Telephones, Police, Post-Death in the Family, Post-Divorce, Protective Tyler, Pulling a Gatsby, Roommates, Schizophrenia, Sexuality Crisis, Sign Language, Smells are fun, Snowball Fight, Social Anxiety, Solitaire - Freeform, Starving, Staying!, Straight Support, Stuffed Toys, Suicidal Thoughts, Suicide Attempt, Threats of Rape/Non-Con, Tyler being a therapist, Tyler lost his gayness?, Type "Stuffed Carrot" if you read this, Valentine's Day, Verbal Abuse, Weird punishments, brief college time, but me though, but not enough, but really tho, but so are the boys, car crash, fight, hope ya don’t mind, i love tags, light dancing, love or no?, lying, mamma boi, oh no, oh yeah, principal, procrastination, self deprecating, sharing is caring, sleep is for the weak, so I guess it's fine, teenage parties, the end is a bunch of summaries, too cute to be straight, ultra angst, way too gay, what is love?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-07
Updated: 2018-06-02
Packaged: 2019-04-19 16:30:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 27
Words: 48,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14241327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EchoingHowls/pseuds/EchoingHowls
Summary: After a friend group is introduced to the new kid Evan, his life takes a drastic turn that results in them having to interweave and catch his fall.*(Prequal to Interdimensional)*





	1. Chapter 1 (Evan)

Evan waved goodbye to his mom as he stepped out of the door, adjusting his backpack straps.

"Bye, mom! See you later!"

He called.

"Bye Evan! Have a good first day!"

His mother called from the kitchen. Evan closed the door behind him and walked toward his bus stop, several other kids standing on the edge of the street. As Evan joined the group he got a few curious stares, but nobody spoke to him. Evan huffed.

_I need to make friends at this new school at some point._

He walked toward one of the people who was on his phone, a mess of black hair with streaks of green lying on his head. He had headphones on and wire-framed glasses. His dark eyes were staring at his screen, but he seemed bored.

Evan gently poked his arm, causing the guy to slid his headphones off and look at Evan curiously.

"Hi! I'm Evan and I just moved here. What's your name?"

Evan held his hand out for a handshake, and the kid shook it with a small smile.

"My name's Mark. Nice to meet you."

He said quietly, not making eye contact with Evan. Evan nodded then broke apart the handshake.

"Your hair almost matches my jacket!"

Evan said with a smile, holding the sleeve of his hoodie up to show Mark. Mark glanced at it and chuckled.

"Yeah, I guess it does."

Evan beamed as the bus pulled up, glancing at Mark as the other kids climbed on.

"Can I sit next to you?"

Mark blushed and coughed.

"U-um...if you want to. You don't need to though, we have plenty of seats."

Mark climbed on with Evan right behind him.

"As long as you're okay with me sitting here, I'd like to become better friends as time goes on."

Evan said as he sat beside Mark.

"Heh, okay, you've peaked my interest."

Mark said with a smile, putting his phone and headphones away.

"So, where did you move from?"

Evan shrugged.

"From the south, we had a farm but sold it to live here. My mom said it was because the schools were better up here and she wanted my sister to live here, away from my dad."

Mark nodded and was silent for a moment before asking,

"What happened to your dad?"

Evan shook his head.

"Nothing really serious, just divorce. Something about not feeling the same way anymore."

Mark nodded.

"My parents were divorced, my dad just got together with a new lady though. I go to my mom's next week, and she has a boyfriend."

Evan nodded, looking out the window as a building began to grow closer. There was a large sign that read:

_**Right Hollow High School** _

_Home of the wolves_

"That the school?"

Evan asked. Mark glanced ahead and nodded.

"Yeah. Do you have your schedule? I can help take you to your first few classes so you don't get lost."

Evan perked at Mark's question and nodded excitedly, pulling a folded paper out of his backpack. He unfolded it and handed it to Mark who took the paper gently. He read the first few classes before nodding.

"Alright, follow me."

He said as the bus stopped, standing up. Evan stood as well and they walked together down the hall of the school, groups of students milling about and conversing loudly. The majority of the students were congregated in the cafeteria, which was twice the size of Evan's old school's. Mark lead Evan through a hallway past the cafeteria, seeing some groups of students relaxing in the corridors. While they were walking, another kid walked toward them, moving his hands in strange ways as he smiled at Mark. He wore a red T-shirt and a black baseball cap, his hair partially covering his eyes and tipped red. Mark made a few gestures himself, then turned to Evan.

"This is Shaun, he's deaf."

Evan smiled but looked away embarrassingly.

"I don't know any sign language."

Mark chuckled.

"That's okay! I'm sure we can teach you."

Evan looked back at them and beamed.

"Really? Thank you!"

Shaun made a few more gestures and Mark chuckled.

"I guess the first thing to teach you would be our names. Shaun is this:"

Mark made his hand into a fist, then moved it in a circle. Evan tried to copy him but Mark stopped him.

"Your thumb goes outside your fingers, like this."

He said while correcting Evan.

"Oh, okay."

Evan said, fixing it and moving his hand in a circle.

"Perfect!"

Mark said with a wide grin.

"And my name is this:"

He tucked his thumb beneath three of his fingers and shook it.

Evan copied him and Mark gave him praise.

"Good! And Shaun will give you your name."

Mark made a few motions to Shaun who then turned to Evan. He paused a moment, then folded his fingers in and bowed his hand. Mark beamed.

"And there you are! Now you have your own sign language name!"

Evan copied to the motion and giggled. He felt so special.

The bell rang, and Mark signed a few more things to Shaun.

"Alright, let's get you to your class."

He said, turning and smiling at Evan.


	2. Chapter 2 (Evan)

"Here we are! A2215."

Mark said, gesturing to the open door of the class.

"And remember if you ever need to contact me you have my number."

Evan nodded, glancing at the phone number at the top of his schedule.

"I will, thanks!"

Evan said, waving a goodbye as he walked inside. Mark waved back, then disappeared with Sean at his side.

Evan looked around the classroom, seeing a few people already scattered around the rows of desks. He could already feel himself begin to retreat into his usual shell and stopped himself.

_No, I won't be alone again. This is a fresh start._

Evan sighed and quickly found a spot in the classroom near the middle of the road of desks where someone was already sitting.

The kid there was intently reading a book, adjusting his glasses every few moments. He had a white and blue hoodie on, and he kept brushing his hair out of his eyes. As Evan set his things down the kid glanced up at him before returning to his book.

"Hello."

Evan said, giving the new kid a smile.

"Hey."

The kid said quietly, trying to ignore Evan.

"What are you reading?"

The kid sighed,

" _Harry Potter_."

Evan perked up and smiled.

"Which book? I think my favorite is the _Prisoner of Azkaban_."

The student looked up, curiosity sparkling in his hazel eyes.

"Mine too."

Evan grinned wider, finally sitting down.

"I love Buckbeak, but I think my favorite character is either Neville or Luna."

The kid smiled, closing his book slightly to show the cover.

"Same! Harry just met her."

Evan nodded and asked,

"So have you ever read the full series before or is this your first time?"

The kid giggled.

"This is like my fifth time re-reading them."

Evan chuckled.

"Wow, that's dedication. I've only read them about 3 times."

The kid nodded, then began reading again, leaving Evan alone again. He looked around, realizing more people had come in and the classroom was beginning to fill up.

The bell tolled a second time, the stragglers running to their classes.

Evan's teacher had introduced herself, speaking for a while before taking attendance.

After calling out several names to which came a half-hearted "here", she read,

"Evan Fong?"

"Here!"

Evan said, raising his hand as the teacher smiled at him before continuing.

Evan was watching the student next to him, waiting for him to speak up so he could learn his name.

"Craig Thompson?"

"Here."

The student mumbled, glancing up to make sure the teacher heard him.

As the teacher continued, Evan gave Craig a slight nudge.

"It's nice to meet you, Craig! What class do you have next?"

Evan whispered, trying not to get in trouble for talking over the teacher. Craig glanced at him in surprise, like he hadn't expected Evan to pick up on his name.

"I-I have history with Mr. Caulhound."

Evan nodded, glancing at his schedule.

"Hey, I do too! You want to walk there together?"

Craig paused, glancing up at the teacher who had begun on "classroom etiquette".

"Are you sure? You can walk with your friends."

Evan shrugged sheepishly.

"I just moved here, I don't have any friends."

Craig smiled and nodded,

"Okay, then we can walk together. I have friends in my next class so you can sit by us if you want."

Evan beamed and felt his nerves bubble excitedly.

_I hope they're nice._

He thought as the bell rang for the end of class. The teacher had passed out a paper that would need to be signed and turned in by Friday, which Evan snatched as he followed Craig down the hallway.

Evan looked around the hallway curiously, trying to absorb the look of them as he wandered behind Craig. Occasionally he bumped shoulders with a few people and they both muttered quick "sorry"s before continuing their way.

Eventually, there was a call down the hallway,

"Craig! Over here!"

Evan glanced at Craig who was trying to stand on his tiptoes to see over the heads of the other students around them. Finally, he seemed to see someone and waved, and someone across the hallway waved back.

"This way Evan!"

He chirped, grabbing Evan's hoodie sleeve to tug him toward the classroom. Evan blinked in surprise at first but eventually made it to the door of the classroom with Craig.

"Hey, Tyler!"

Craig greeted the other student who stood taller than both of them. The new kid brushed his hair back and smiled, glancing at Evan.

"Hey Craig, who's this?"

Craig glanced at Evan and gave him a comforting smile.

"This is Evan, he just moved here."

Tyler nodded and held his hand out to Evan.

"Nice to meet you, Evan, I think you may know by now but I'm Tyler."

They shook hands and Tyler lead him into the class toward two more students who were watching them curiously.

"So these are some of our friend group, this is Brian and Scotty."

Tyler introduced, gesturing toward the two.

"Guys, this is Evan."

They smiled and waved at him before they all sat together, the bell ringing for the beginning of class.

"Alright, guys,"

The teacher called, standing from his chair.

"I'm sure you all know the drill, I give you a paper and we talk about the rules for the entire class, but I'm still getting used to waking up and don't feel like teaching so go ahead and talk to yourselves. Just get this paper signed and turned in by Friday."

As the teacher began passing out the papers, the students began cheering and high-fiving, the guys around Evan grinning widely.

"Well then, I guess it's time we learn a little bit about you, Evan!"

The one Tyler called Brian said, watching Ryan excitedly.

Evan felt his face heat up and looked away shyly.

"Heh, nothing too fancy. My parents divorced and my mom wanted to move me up here away from my dad."

The guys nodded and Scotty signed something, to which Evan cast a worried glance at Tyler. Tyler glanced at Evan and chuckled at his expression.

"He's mute, so you can still answer his question. He asked what happened by the way."

Evan nodded and glanced back at Scotty.

"Between my parents? Nothing. Just said they didn't feel the same way they used to. My mom has a new boyfriend and my dad a new girlfriend."

Evan shrugged and Scotty signed a few more things. Tyler smiled and translated.

"He said he's glad you moved here, and so far I agree. Wanna sit with us at lunch?"

The other guys all looked at Evan expectantly, who felt his heart flip.

_Who knew making friends was this easy?_

"We'll have to talk to Brock about it, but I'm sure he'd be fine with you joining us."

Brian said, smiling casually at Evan.

"Brock?"

Evan asked, tilting his head slightly. Craig nodded and rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, he says he has to interview all our friends to ensure they won't hurt us or something. But don't worry, he'll just ask you a couple questions."

Evan felt his anxiety spike and his breathing hitched.

"L-like what?"

Brian shrugged, looking casual about the exchange.

"Like what you name is, how old you are, what your hobbies are, things like that."

Evan felt his heart begin to hammer as he stared at the desk in thought.

What if this Brock guy beat Evan up? What if he realized Evan was weird?

Evan quickly tried thinking of answers to possible questions. Name and age he wouldn't need to lie about, but his hobbies...

Evan felt his breathing grow ragged as his hands shook. He had been made fun of at his old school for his hobbies, but his father constantly told him how terrible he was at lying.

What would he tell Brock?

He jumped when a hand was placed on his shoulder and looked to see Tyler, concern in his blue eyes.

"Evan? Are you okay?"

Evan froze for a moment, his heart pumping ice instead of blood.

"Y-yeah...I-I'm fine."

Tyler frowned disbelievingly but gave Evan a small nod.

"Okay...well don't worry. Brock won't hurt you."

Evan gave Tyler a weak smile, his nerves still buzzing.


	3. Chapter 3 (Evan)

Evan felt his heart jump when the bell rang. He felt Mark place a hand gently on his shoulder, giving Evan a sympathetic smile.

Evan picked up his bag, leaving the biology class.

He had been on edge ever since he left last class with Craig, Tyler, Brian, and Scotty. He had walked to his next class alone, seeing Mark give him a friendly wave and pat the chair beside him. When Evan saw him he sighed in relief and tried to calm his nerves.

"What's wrong?"

Mark questioned, his voice low to avoid getting caught by the teacher as she lectured.

Evan gave him a weak smile before sighing and spilling his worries about "Brock".

At the mention of his name, Mark widened his eyes.

"Wait, Brock?"

He asked, his eyes widening.

"Like, Beat-up Brock?"

Evan felt his heart flutter and color drain from his face.

"Y-You kn-know him?"

Evan asked, his voice shaking. Mark shook his head, and said quickly,

"Not personally, but everyone knows who he is."

Evan's heart pounded, and his hands began trembling.

"C-can I sit with you for lunch?"

Mark nodded, then asked,

"Which lunch do you have?"

"First."

Mark frowned and bit his lip.

"Oh, Sean and I have second."

Evan felt the blood drain from his face and his throat burned with bile.

After swallowing the puke back down and Mark trying to calm him, Evan walked shakily toward the cafeteria. When he entered the large open room he immediately started scanning for familiar faces, hoping to spot someone from his other classes besides Craig and his friends.

However, it seemed luck wasn't on his side.

"Evan!"

Came a cheerful shout from behind Evan. Evan jumped and stared wide-eyed at Craig who stood beside him, smiling giddily.

"Come on, our table is this way!"

He said, grabbing the sleeve of Evan's hoodie and tugging him toward a table of people.

Evan's social anxiety that he had managed to swallow down all morning kicked up, causing his already high-stress levels to rise higher.

The walls began to move toward him, tightening the confined area he was trapped with all these new people. His chest choked him and darkness seeped into the edges of his vision. His legs wobbled as the gaze of every student burned into him, the cafeteria silencing to listen to his panicked breathes. Evan's mind whirled, trying to focus on everything as he slipped into a panic, losing his footing and collapsing to the floor as the volume of the cafeteria increased, burning its way into his ears.

"Evan!"

Came the panicked question, somehow managing to force its way into his thoughts.

It seemed as if everything around him froze, a dull murmur of noise coming from around him.

"Evan, can you hear me?"

Evan opened his eyes, barely registering the fact they had been scrunched shut. Tyler was I front of him, Craig and Brian on either of his sides.

"Are you okay?"

Tyler asked, his blue eyes shining with worry. Evan's breathing deepened, trying to calm himself as his gaze flicked around the room.

No one was staring at him.

The walls hadn't moved.

_Was it all in my head?_

Evan thought, finally looking back at Tyler.

The student held a hand out to him, offering to help him to his feet. Evan tentatively took his hand and the taller kid yanked him up.

"What happened?"

Tyler asked, leading Evan toward the table with a hand on his shoulder, almost like he thought Evan would fall again.

"P-panic...attack."

Evan whispered between breaths. Tyler nodded, helping Evan sit down and move his backpack that had fallen toward his seat.

"It's okay, you're alright."

Tyler soothed, giving Evan a soft smile. Evan returned it, what little anxiety there was melting away.

"Th-thanks."

Evan said, smiling awkwardly at the guys.

"S-sorry for freaking out."

Brian chuckled, swatting the air.

"It was nothing. We were just worried."

Evan nodded, and after a minute someone at the table Evan didn't recognize spoke up, sounding slightly annoyed.

"So, are you going to introduce us?"

The brunet asked, his blue eyes and glasses boring into Tyler.

"Oh right, Evan, this is Jonathan. And this is David and Marcel. Brock and Ryan are getting food but they'll be here soon."

Evan felt his anxiety spike slightly and asked,

"Brock?"

Tyler seemed to notice is fear and shook his head.

"Don't worry, I won't let him bother you. I've decided you're joining us, whether he likes it or not. That is of course if you want to."

Evan blinked at his new friends, seeing them glance at him hopefully. After a moment he scoffed and began taking out his lunch.

"Of course! I have nowhere else to go."

The guys gave a small cheer and Tyler beamed, gratitude glimmering in his eyes. The happy mood stayed for a few minutes until two other people walked toward the table, setting down trays of food.

"Who is this?"

The taller one gruffed, his eyes hidden behind a pair of sunglasses.

Tyler put a hand on Evan's shoulder, smiling from him to the new guy.

"Brock, this is Evan. He's sitting with us now."

Brock's expression soured into a scowl, quickly moving around the table and yanking Evan from his seat.

"We'll see about that."

"Brock! Leave him alone."

Tyler snapped, standing up. He was a head taller than Brock and glared down at the kid holding Evan tightly.

"Tyler you know why I do this."

He growled quietly. Tyler's eyes flashed but his voice calmed.

"Of course. After Rhett and Link, I'd be surprised if you didn't. But,"

Tyler paused, gently prying Brock's hand off of Evan.

"Trust me when I say he's fine. If he does anything stupid I will personally take care of him."

Evan stared up at Tyler, a chill sliding up his spine at the words. Brock glanced from Tyler to Evan, then shook his head.

"Fine. I doubt he'll be here long anyway."

Tyler gave Brock a small nod before smiling down at Evan.

"See? Told you I'd protect you."

Evan could see the same warmth in Tyler's eyes as always, but now there seemed to be an icy ring. Almost like he was now watching Evan more cautiously after being reminded of their past friends.


	4. Chapter 4 (Tyler)

Tyler tucked his hands into his pocket smiling as he thought of the school day. It had been fairly simple, receiving all the same rubrics from his teachers on how he should behave in class.

He would have to sign it, of course, signing his father's name for him.

Then there was Evan. Tyler admitted when he first saw the other student he thought he looked beautiful.

Or perhaps handsome is the proper adjective...

But the way his chocolate eyes shone, and his tan skin glowed, Tyler was already in a trance for the boy.

He sighed.

However, he wasn't sure what this meant. He had always considered himself straight, seeing and falling for pretty girls as they traversed the hallways. He and his friends always joked about who they thought would go on a date first, seemingly set that it would be either Brian or Tyler.

But, Evan wasn't a girl. Yet, Tyler felt the same attraction he had felt toward Kelly, his current crush.

Tyler ran a hand through his hair, deciding to worry about his emotions later.

Especially after Brock brought up Rhett and Link.

Tyler felt electricity build up in his blood and had to hold a growl just at the thought of them.

Those two had been a part of their friend group for years, only for them to ditch Tyler and his friends.

And for what? Pride? Bragging rights?

Tyler was still trying to pay off the car they had totaled and blamed on the group of friends.

As Tyler walked up to his stairs he shook his head, clearing his thoughts. It wouldn't be good for his dad to see him riled up. He pulled the apartment key out from his pocket and unlocked the door, locking it behind him.

"Dad, I'm home!"

He called, dropping his things off on the living room couch.

"I'm in my room son."

Came his father's reply, raspy and tired. Tyler walked toward the open door of the bedroom, seeing his dad relaxing into his wheelchair as the tv played some baking show. His dad glanced at him with a half-smile, asking,

"How was school?"

Tyler walked toward his dad and stood next to the wheelchair, beginning to help him up.

"It was nice, I met a new student."

His dad lifted an eyebrow as Tyler helped him waddle toward the bathroom.

"Were they hot?"

Tyler blushed and chuckled as his dad closed the door, changing into a new adult diaper.

Tyler leaned against the door, waiting for the knock that would tell him to help his dad back in his chair.

"Yeah, he was pretty."

Tyler mused, smiling. He heard his dad chuckling behind the door before knocking.

"So they're a he?"

His dad croaked with a wide smile. Well, as wide as he could make with his limited facial movement. Tyler felt the red in his cheeks darken as he helped his dad back to his chair.

"What's his name?"

His dad asked after he sat in his wheelchair.

"Evan."

Tyler said, beginning to push his dad into the living room so they could continue their conversation while he cooked dinner.

"Evan huh? Sounds nice. How hot was he?"

His dad winked at him and Tyler rolled his eyes, filling a pot with water for spaghetti.

"Well, he managed to turn your straight son bi. How hot do _you_ think he is?"

Tyler joked although he startled himself with his comment.

His dad seemed unfazed.

"Well, any gender for my son better be hot and smart. You should invite Evan over some time."

Tyler scoffed, turning the stove on and setting the pot on top.

"I'll try dad. I think you'll like him."

Tyler walked toward the living room, flicking the tv on and handing the remote to his dad so he could watch what he wanted. Well, watch as much as he could without his eyes drooping.

Tyler turned back to his cooking, letting himself get lost in thought.

It had been 5 years since his dad had been diagnosed with ALS. It had been fine at first, but in the past few weeks his voice grew rough and it didn't take long after that that he could only walk with Tyler's help. They had gone to the hospital, but because of their poor financial situation, they could only offer them occasional medication for when it got really bad. And even then, they only had a few prescriptions.

It had gotten worse with his voice, and he was getting weaker in his arms and legs.

Tyler feared he would have to hand feed him soon.

And even if Tyler would happily do that for his dad, it was only a matter of time before it spread further and he could no longer chew, or maybe even have trouble breathing.

And after that...

Tyler swallowed as he stirred the pasta in the pan, waiting for it to soften for dinner.

He didn't want to think about his dad dying, but when his mom died when he was 7, and his sister died when she was about 2, he hated admitting he had grown used to the fact that those he loved died.

Tyler cast a glance at his dad who now snored from his chair, his head lolled back.

He made a small smile, serving the now finished pasta onto a plate and letting it cool before taking it to his dad.

"Dad, dinner is ready."

He tapped his father gently on the shoulder, waking him up with a startled snort.

"Oh, thank you, Tyler."

He said when he regained his surroundings. Tyler gave him a nod and put the plate on his dad's lap, sitting him feed himself.

Tyler then walked away to serve himself when his dad croaked,

"Um...Tyler?"

Tyler cast a curious glance back, his heart wavering when his father spoke.

"Can you help me eat?"


	5. Chapter 5 (Evan and Brock)

(Evan)

Several months passed, and Evan seemed to fit into the groups perfectly. He had hung out with Mark and Sean a couple times, meeting up at either Sean or Mark's house and walking to a park and talking. Well, Mark and Evan talked while Mark translated for Sean. Evan had to get used to Mark constantly signing for Sean, either for what he said or for what Evan was saying. The only time he didn't sign was when he was translating Sean for Evan.

Evan had also gotten closer to Tyler and Craig's group, spending a lot of time together at school and occasionally at Brian's house where they would play board games or watch movies.

Evan and Craig were the closest, with Tyler being a close second. Brian was also very nice, making sure he was always included in whatever they did as a group. Jonathan and David were a bit more distant to the others, and would sometimes miss out on a movie night to study for tests together. Brock was quiet during them hanging out, and he tended to observe the others at a distance rather than join the fun. Ryan tended to do the same, rarely saying anything unless talked to by Brock or Tyler. Marcel and Scotty would often need Tyler to translate for them, but Evan liked them nonetheless.

It was officially October, and Halloween was beginning to rear its fearful head.

At Lunch, Brian seemed to be rambling about a small Halloween party for the group that he was planning at his house, which got Evan excited for the weekend.

Houses everywhere had begun putting up their decorations, plastic skeletons, and carved pumpkins becoming a frequent sight. Evan had helped his mom carve a few of their own pumpkins, one of them a rough smile and the other a carefully sculpted scary face.

Evan's mom liked art.

On the walks with Mark and Sean, their steps made crunching sounds over the piles of fallen red and gold leaves. As the smell of cinnamon and pumpkin danced on the breeze.

Finally, Saturday came and Evan was practically bouncing in his seat as he watched the houses fly by, waiting for Brian's to appear.

"Someone's a little excited."

His mom mused, glancing at him with a loving smile. Evan giggled and nodded, looking at her.

"Brian's been planning this for a while and he said it's going to be a lot of fun."

He chirped, turning back toward the window. His mother chuckled,

"Alright, just remember to be careful and always remember you can say no to anything. That doesn't make you different or weird, that makes you strong."

Evan's smile shrunk slightly, and he nodded.

"Thanks, mom."

He said as she pulled up to Brian's driveway, Craig and Brian already running out of the house to meet him.

"Of course sweetie. Love you!"

"Love you too!"

He called, closing the door before she drove away.

Brian began skipping back toward the door.

"Come on! We're about to play Mafia!"

He called, Craig smiling before walking with Evan into the house.

During the games, everybody played, including Brock and Ryan. Tyler was the narrator, mostly so he could sign to Marcel or Scotty if they were selected for a role as the medic or mafia.

The hours passed as several rounds of Mafia were played, before moving on to Uno, Clue, and Charades.

Eventually, the sky darkened and a clock read 9:30.

Brian called for the attention of everyone as he turned on a movie called _The Village_.

Evan and Craig were caught unawares at several jump scares, but at the end, some of the guys complained about the movie not being scary.

_**-A/N The only "horror movie" I've ever seen is The Village and I've constantly been told it doesn't count so...sorry. I don't do scared.** _

"That was weak, we should watch _The Sixth Sense_!"

Brock huffed in annoyance. Craig shook his head, clearly, his nerves already peaked.

"No! I can't handle any more jump scares!"

He yelped, huddling further into the blanket wrapped around him. Evan nodded in agreement and Brock growled, narrowing his eyes at them.

"It's only 11:20, we have plenty of time before we have to go to sleep."

Brock stated, clearly pushing his idea. A couple of the guys began shrugging, deciding they might as well watch another movie.

Evan frowned, seeing Craig's eyes widen as the disc was changed.

"I don't want to watch _The Sixth Sense_. Can we play games instead?"

He asked, tilting his head slightly. Brock cast another glance at him, this time spitting,

"Why?"

Evan shrugged, although he had to tune out the screams of the previews that had started for other horror movies.

"I'm movied out. Let's play Clue!"

He offered, Brock's gaze only growing colder.

"Well, I don't want to play Clue. And being that nobody cares what we do except you and me, your opinion is invalid because you just joined us."

Evan felt a sting of hurt in his chest but glanced at Craig who was already huddling from the previews.

"Please?"

Evan asked, keeping his voice light so as to not upset Brock.

Brock sighed, standing from where he was sitting on the couch and walking to where Evan was.

"I-it's o-only an s-suggestion."

Evan choked out, pressing himself further into the couch.

"I don't want your fucking suggestions."

Brock barked, his swear causing a few of the others to gasp.

"Brock, language!"

Tyler hissed, all of them looking around to make sure Brian's parents didn't hear.

Brock ignored them and yanked Evan up, holding him in the air by his shirt collar.

"I don't want to hear your annoying little voice for the rest of the night or you're out of the group. Don't think you were finally officially with us because you are still new. We can leave a weirdo like you alone in the halls. What do you think of that _freak show_?"

Evan felt like he was going to throw up. He was being held over a cliff with nothing but a thin branch holding his shirt collar. A scream was lodged in his throat, and he could feel it trying to worm its way out. He could hear Brock screaming at him, the words _weirdo_ and _freak show_ causing the branch to crack as he was suddenly falling, the cry finally making it to his lips as he plunged into darkness.

 

***

 

(Brock)

Brock stared at Evan after he had let go of his shirt. The younger kid collapsed like a twig, letting out a blood-curdling cry for a split second before he was sobbing and shaking horrifically. Brock felt the stares of his friends on him, and he felt a little bad treating Evan like that, but huffed the emotion away. He turned and stomped into the kitchen, grabbing his coat before going out to Brian's backyard.

He didn't want to walk back home in the dark, considering he lived in a bit of a sketchy neighborhood, so he plopped down on one of the patio chairs out of sight from the screen door and laid back, letting out a heavy sigh.

He had admittedly been on edge since this morning with his dad.

His stupid mom just had to go and die, leaving Brock and his brother with their stupid abusive father.

The morning had started like any other, with him waking up from his brother having a night terror at 3:00 am from across the room. Brock rolled out of bed, waking Lucas up.

"Smitty, come on. It's just a nightmare."

Brock said, quietly, gently shaking his brother as he let out another loud sob.

Lucas hated his name as their father often called him "Mucas" because of it, so they had decided on nicknames for each other.

Lucas was Smitty and Brock was Moo.

Which bugged Brock because the name he chose for Lucas was way cooler than the sound a cow made, but it made Lucas happy so he dealt with the annoyance.

"Smitty, listen to me. You just need to wake up."

Brock said, and eventually, Lucas's panicked breathing calmed, and his brown eyes opened, locking with Brock's green ones.

"There you go. See? All better."

Brock said with a soft smile. Lucas chuckled and pulled Brock in for a hug. Brock scoffed and hugged him back, not letting go when he asked,

"What was it about this time?"

Lucas shivered, still pausing a moment before saying,

"Dad killed you."

Brock stiffened, then snapped,

"Don't call him that. His name is Paul."

He then calmed his tone and said,

"Besides, you know I'll never let him kill me. I'll kill him first. You know that, right?"

Lucas nodded, giving Brock a tight squeeze before letting him go.

"Thanks, Moo."

Brock rolled his eyes but smiled.

"Of course Smitty."

Then, after Brock had managed to go to sleep, his alarm for 6:00 am went off, forcing him to go make breakfast for himself and his brother.

His dad could fuck right off.

As he began making scrambled eggs, he expected Lucas to be waking up again soon. However, instead of Lucas being the second one into the kitchen, Paul was.

_He must not be hungover...that's a first._

Brock thought sourly, watching Paul out of the corner or his eye.

"Wha's fur brekfst?"

_Nope, never mind. He's hungover. Just awake really fucking early for his usual sleep schedule._

Brock didn't respond and soon he smelled alcohol and felt breathing down his neck.

"I say'd wha's fur brekfurst damn deaf basturd."

Paul spat, literally leaving a few droplets of spittle on Brock's ear. Brock shoved the man away, snarling,

"Back up! This is for Lucas and I only."

Paul snorted, glaring at Brock.

"I dun only 'ave one son. The uther'z a bitch."

Brock felt his blood boil and had to resist the urge to slap Paul with the hot spatula in his hand.

"Lucas is way better than your fat ass could ever be! Now go away."

Brock turned back to the eggs, trying to ignore the grimy hand on his shoulder.

"'zee? You're 'da real man of my kids. Tha' las' un 's a mistake."

Brock whirled around and slapped Paul on the hand with the spatula, causing a thwack sound. Paul seemed to take a moment to register what happened when he slapped Brock, knocking him to the ground.

"You don' ever hit yur fath'r! Now, where's dat dumb bitch?"

Paul muttered, beginning to wander toward Brock and Lucas's room.

"No!"

Brock shouted, grabbing Paul's ankle and almost making the man fall.

"Gidoff!"

Paul shouted, kicking Brock in the face and using his other leg to stomp on Brock's arms until Brock had to release or else his arms would break. Brock then had to scramble to his feet, and reach the door before Paul locked it, getting there a moment too late as the door clicked in his face.

"Paul! Paul open the door you fucker!"

He didn't hear a response from the man, only a half-awake,

"Huh?"

Then a gruff,

"You useless son of a bitch..."

Before Lucas began crying out in pain, the sound of hand hitting flesh resounding through the hallway. Brock began trying to break the door down.

"LET ME THE FUCK IN PAUL!"

Brock roared, scrambling to find something to pick the lock.

There was still no response as now Lucas was just sobbing as Paul was swearing under his breath.

This continued for another half hour with Paul only stopping because the burnt eggs set off the fire alarm. The moment the door opened Brock rushed to Lucas's side, pulling his sobbing and bruised body close.

"It's okay...it's okay."

Brock soothed, rocking Lucas back and forth.

"I'm here Smitty. I'm here."

"Brock..."

Came his shattered whine, his voice thick with pain.

"I know..."

Brock almost sobbed, trying to stay strong for Smitty.

"I'm sorry."

Brock whispered into his brother's hair,

"So sorry."


	6. Chapter 6 (Tyler and Evan)

(Tyler)

Tyler stared in shock before rushing to Evan's side. He didn't care where Brock went, or if he never came back, all he wanted was to make sure Evan was okay.

"Evan? Evan, can you hear me?"

He asked, grabbing the smaller kid's shoulders as he was trying to rock back and forth. Evan didn't respond, just shaking his head with his eyes slammed shut.

After about another 15 minutes Evan still hadn't calmed down and Tyler was beginning to panic as well. He was taking deep breaths to soothe himself, before finally deciding to give in to what he knew had to happen.

"Brian, can you call Evan's mom?"

Brian blinked from where he had been sitting on the couch then said,

"Should I search the phone book?"

Tyler shook his head with a frown, then remembered Evan's phone was in his pocket. He pulled out the small device and flipped it open, searching the contacts until he found one labeled "Mom". He selected it and the number appeared before he handed it to Brian.

Brian grabbed the phone and soon he was dialing the number into his own flip phone.

"Hey, Mrs. Fong? It's Brian, Evan's friend."

He paused for a moment, then said,

"Well, it was but then we were watching a horror movie and now I think he's having a panic attack."

Another pause.

"Alright, bye."

He said, clicking the end button.

"She said she's on her way."

He said solemnly, casting a worried glance at Tyler. Tyler gave him a grateful nod and pulled Evan into his lap, wanting to hold him closer.

After 20 minutes, there came a knock on the door and Brian left to open it. Brock still hadn't come back inside, although Tyler was kind of glad he hadn't.

A woman with pale skin and dark eyes and hair came into the living room, trailing Brian.

"He's right there."

Brian said quietly, pointing at Tyler and Evan. Ms. Fong glanced at Tyler for a moment before hurrying toward them and scooping Evan up.

"Shh..."

She calmed, looking back toward Tyler.

"Thank you. I'll take him back home."

She then turned and began walking out the door, but stopped when Tyler called out to her.

"Um, actually,"

He said, causing her to look back at him curiously.

"Can you take me home? I should check on my dad."

Ms. Fong paused, looking down at Evan before looking back up and giving him a small smile and a nod.

"Sure, let's go."

Tyler waved a quick goodbye to everyone, then followed Evan and his mom out the door and into a small blue hatchback that looked fairly worn. She sat with Evan in her lap in the passenger seat, looking back at Tyler.

"You don't mind if I sing to call him down do you?"

Tyler gave her a smile and shook his head, and she smiled back before beginning to rock Evan who was still shaking and sobbing.

 

(To the tune of twinkle twinkle little star)

_Twinkle went the star at night_

_Blinking as the daytime came_

_Sure we cannot see it now_

_But it's there I promise thou_

_Evan, please look up tonight_

_Look and see the starry sky_

_The shadows that have plagued you now_

_Can only have you make a sound_

_You can have the strength tonight_

_Grab a sword, prepare to fight_

_Evan dear please arm yourself_

_Please don't let them harm your health_

_Evan look the moon is back_

_You have won and that is fact_

_You never need to be alone_

_Just call me on the telephone_

_Evan know I love you so_

_You're the reason mommy glows._

 

As she finished the song, Evan had stopped crying, now only letting out the occasional sniffle.

"Better?"

Ms. Fong asked, giving Evan a gently kiss on his head.

Evan nodded, pulling his mom into a hug.

"Sorry..."

He said, muffled through her shirt.

"Don't be, it's normal to get scared. That means you're healthy."

She said, still rocking Evan.

Tyler stared in awe at the two, his heart melting at the sight. Her singing had left him in goosebumps and he felt like he could feel the emotion behind the words, even if the tune was the same as he had heard many times before.

What surprised Tyler was the speed in which it calmed Evan.

_I'll have to learn the lyrics to help him._

Tyler told himself as Evan was placed in the passenger seat and his mom walked over to the driver's door to begin their drive home.

_I'll ask her later._

He promised, beginning to tell her which roads to turn to get back to his house.

It seemed like they pulled into the apartment complex too quickly for Tyler's liking, but he smiled and gave a "thank you" before opening his door to leave. As he stood up though he heard Evan say,

"Tyler?"

Tyler froze and looked back, catching Evan's still pink eyes.

"Sorry for panicking, but thanks for trying to help me."

Tyler sent Evan a warm smile, and said,

"Of course! That's what friends do."

Evan's small smile that had appeared now faltered and he turned away from Tyler.

"Y-yeah. Bye."

Tyler felt his heart crack, but from the sympathetic look Evan's mom gave him, he decided he'd worry about it later.

"Bye Evan."

He said before he shut the door.

 

***

 

(Evan)

"He's a nice kid."

Evan's mom chirped, beginning to drive off. Evan barely heard her.

"Y-Yeah...I guess."

He was staring out the window and heard her sigh.

"Evan, what really happened? You've never gotten this worked up over a scary movie before."

Evan tried to ignore her, maybe pretend he didn't hear her.

"Evan, please."

She said sternly. The teen sighed and turned to his mom who was watching the road.

"One of the guys threatened to kick me out of the group."

He said quietly. The words "weirdo" and "freak show" echoing through his mind again.

"What? Why would they do that?"

His mom asked, anger and confusion flashing through her dark eyes when she glanced at him.

Evan felt another sob begin to make its way to his chest.

"I said I wanted to play games instead of watching another movie. But I only said it because Craig looked really scared from the movie and I didn't want him to get more scared."

There was a pause before she asked,

"Did you tell them that?"

"No..."

Evan mumbled, turning back toward the window.

"Well, why not?"

Evan didn't answer, instead grinding his teeth.

_Because I was too busy being a useless baby crying on the floor._

Evan's mom sighed again, moving her hand to hold his.

"I love you, Evan. You know that right?"

Evan didn't feel like answering verbally so he nodded his head.

"And you'd tell me if these boys were bullying you?"

Evan hesitated.

These guys besides Mark and Sean were the few people that would talk to him on a daily basis. The rest of the day he would blend into the crowd and avoid being noticed.

It was a bad habit, but it had saved him from getting bullied more than he already was.

But, if these people became the ones that bullied him, would he tell his mom?

He didn't tell her about the last group of friends that did that...

"Yeah."

He said quietly.

"I'd tell you."


	7. Chapter 7 (Evan and Tyler)

(Evan)

Evan avoided the guys for a week, talking to Craig and the others in his classes as little as possible. They had been worried about him, Tyler and Craig especially, but around Wednesday it seemed they gave up trying to talk to him. He had eaten lunch by himself every day in one of the hallways, or in the bathroom when a teacher told him to leave.

Mark had seemed to notice his distress as he began trying to ask if everything was okay at home and school to which Evan could only give him a small smile and nod.

The next Monday, however, when Mark, Sean, and Evan were walking to class, they were stopped by Tyler and everyone but Brock, Marcel, or Ryan.

"Evan, what's wrong? Why are you avoiding us?"

Tyler snapped, his arms crossed as he glared at him.

Evan felt his heart falter and his eyes widened as he gasped. Mark glanced from Tyler to Evan and stepped between them, Sean frowning at the guys.

"Hey, the bell rang already, let's just go to class."

Mark said simply, staring pointedly at Tyler.

Tyler narrowed his eyes at Mark, and Evan could see Sean and Craig glaring at each other.

"We'll go to class when Evan tells us what's wrong. He avoided us all last week!"

There was hurt thick in Tyler's voice as he gestured to Evan, making the latter flinch away. Tyler noticed and glanced at him worriedly before turning his attention back to Mark.

Mark glanced back at Evan too before looking back at Tyler snarling,

"Then obviously he has his reasons. Just leave him alone!"

Evan had to admit, Mark was brave for how he spoke to the much taller student.

"Stay out of this, this is between Evan and-"

Tyler was cut off as someone shoved their way through the guys, followed by a flustered looking Marcel and an annoyed Ryan.

"Oh my- Evan, this is ridiculous. Just start coming back to lunch so the guys shut up."

Brock snapped, rolling his eyes.

The world fell silent around Evan as he stared at Brock.

His legs collapsed beneath him but he still had the instinct to run so he began dragging himself backward with his hands.

This triggered Tyler to start yelling at Brock although Evan couldn't hear anything besides muffled commotion.

Suddenly a hand touched his shoulder and looked up to see Mark.

_"Let's go."_

He signed, which Evan was surprised he understood. He nodded and Mark helped him up on shaky legs before weaving their way through the crowd that had gathered, Evan focusing on not passing out.

 

***

 

(Tyler)

Tyler glanced from where Evan had scampered away, clearly already slipping into another panic attack. He turned to Brock who was watching Evan in confusion.

"Brock leave him alone! You're just scaring him more!"

Brock now turned his attention to Tyler, his eyebrow lifted in question before dropping into a scowl.

"Shut up! If I'm the reason he's so scared he should just say so!"

Tyler gestured toward Evan, although he didn't glance at him.

"He _can't_ he's having a panic attack!"

Brock rolled his eyes and swept his hand through the air.

"Whatever. He needs to quit being such a baby."

Tyler felt his blood boil, now taking a step closer to Brock and jabbing him hard in the chest.

" _You_ need to quit being such a jerk! What did Evan ever do to you?"

Brock was growling, the two locked eyes even after someone shoved them apart.

"Guys cut it out!"

Someone shouted.

"Fuck off! Leave me alone!"

Snapped Brock, throwing the few students that had begun holding him back off. Tyler felt a tug on his sleeve and looked to see several students trying to pull him away from Brock. He didn't resist them, just turn his attention back to Brock as he began yelling something else.

"You only care about Evan because you like him! You and him are gay fagots!"

The hallway silenced as Tyler snapped.

Although, he didn't know if it was his mind tuning out the chaos of the hallway, or if everyone had really stopped making noise in surprise at what Brock had said.

Tyler had only fully accepted himself as bi a month prior and he was nowhere near ready to go spreading it around the school.

_Looks like it's too late anyway._

He thought to himself as he subconsciously shoved through the students holding him off, making his way back to Brock.

The shorter student's malicious smirk faded into a wide-eyed stare as Tyler neared.

Tyler picked him up and held him in the air by his shirt collar.

"Never insult Evan again."

Tyler spat before throwing him to the ground, the sunglasses that were clipped to Brock's shirt falling and breaking. Brock's head hit the ground hard, causing a dull _thunk_. When he sat up blood was running down his face, his nose twisted wrong and clearly broken.

When Tyler realized what he had done, he gasped and reached to help Brock up before being tackled to the ground by several students, pinning him down and dragging him away while he screamed,

"Brock! Brock, I'm sorry!"

Tyler managed to catch a glimpse of his friend standing up, holding his nose while shoving the students away from him.

Brock saw Tyler and glared at him with disgust.

 

Tyler stared at his lap as he sat in the chair next to the principal's office. Brock had been taken to the nurse, or more like he walked there while students trailed him. Tyler had immediately been taken by some of the teachers who had been nearby and dragged to the principal's office where he could hear them arguing with the principal from inside.

"He broke a student's nose!"

"He has no previous records of violence."

"He threatened a kid with scissors before!"

"That was third grade, this is freshman year."

"At least call his parents!"

"His mother is dead and his father has ALS, I doubt either can do much."

"So what, he gets left off with a warning?"

There was a pause.

"That is enough from you three. Return to your classes and I will take care of it from here."

The door soon opened and the teachers stared at Tyler like he was a lion escaped from the zoo; dangerous and unpredictable.

"Tyler, please come in."

Came Principal Worn's voice. Tyler sighed before standing and walking into the office and sitting in front of the principal, not looking up.

"Tyler Wine, freshman."

Mr. Worn began,

"You know, you've been a very good student. I never expected to have to meet you this way."

He paused, expecting an answer, but Tyler just closed his eyes and leaned against his hand.

"So, is everything alright at home? How is your father?"

Tyler opened his eyes again, although he stared at the trash can underneath the desk.

"Getting worse."

Tyler mumbled.

Mr. Worn sighed.

"I'm sorry. I wish there was more I could do but I can't. However, that doesn't give you permission to lash out at other students. I'll let you off with a warning. Can I trust that this'll never happen again?"

There was a flash of Brock's face of disgust behind Tyler's eyes.

"Yes. I promise it'll never happen again."


	8. Chapter 8 (Evan and Craig)

(Evan)

Evan walked into class as the tardy bell rang, cringing when he realized Mark and Sean would be late.

The class was fairly empty, and when Evan sat down he was grateful Craig wasn't there yet either.

"Where is everyone?"

Mrs. Howe asked, looking around the classroom in confusion.

"There was a fight!"

A kid exclaimed as he ran into the classroom, three other students behind him.

"A fight?"

The teacher asked, looking baffled.

"Is anyone hurt?"

One of the other kids nodded.

"One of them got their nose broken, the other got sent to the office."

Evan's blood ran cold.

_Oh god..._

He breathed, staring at his pencil on his desk.

_Tyler got his nose broken because of me._

"Well, the kid was pretty much asking for it; calling the tall one gay like that."

Evan heard a student comment as Mrs. Howe tried to collect the class as more students began stumbling go to class.

Evan was trying to listen to the lesson when he heard a familiar voice down the hall and looked up to see Craig waving goodbye to Brian. Craig turned into the class and looked at Evan, causing the latter to quickly look away and stare at his paper as he moved his things farther away from Craig's side. After a clatter of a backpack hitting the ground, Craig sat beside Evan.

"Evan, you don't have to talk to the others, but please talk to me. What happened? What did we do?"

Evan felt his anxiety begin rising again.

He never fully recovered from Brock.

He did his best to focus on the teacher as she lectured about how to format a paper.

There was a pause before Craig began following the lesson too. In the middle of class, when they were supposed to be doing partner work, Craig frowned at Evan.

"Please just tell me. I promise I won't tell anyone but I need to know how I can help you."

Evan felt tears prick his eyes as he read the question on the top of the paper again.

"H-how do you th-th..."

Evan's voice was faltering and his breathing was beginning to quicken again.

_No! Not now! Not now!_

Evan tried to take deep breaths and still his shaking hand but it didn't seem to be helping.

_Nononononono! Notnownotnownotnow!"_

Evan scrunched his eyes closed, only opening them when he felt a hand on his shoulder and saw the worried face of Mrs. Howe.

"Evan? Do you need to go to the nurse?"

Evan blinked at her question then nodded vigorously.

"Can I go?"

He asked, his voice hoarse. Mrs. Howe nodded and Evan snatched his things before speed walking out the door and down the hallway, ignoring Craig's, "Evan wait!"

 

***

 

(Craig)

Craig walked to history as fast as he could without running or hitting anyone. He wove through the crowd expertly, grateful for his small size as he reached the classroom. He walked in, seeing only Scotty and Brian.

_Tyler I swear if you got expelled..._

He thought with a frown. He put his stuff down and the guys looked at him.

"Hey Craig, you seen Tyler?"

Brian asked, worry glinting in his blue eyes. Craig shook his head and they all let out a sigh.

It wasn't until the last 15 minutes of class that the door opened and a tired Tyler walked into class, handing a note to the teacher.

"Tyler!"

Craig whisper-yelled, smiling widely. Tyler sat beside him and laid his head on the table, not reacting to his greeting.

"How's Evan?"

He asked, lifting his head slightly to look at Craig. The smaller student looked at his hands.

"I don't know. Not well. He refused to talk to me and started panicking again. He got sent to the nurse by the teacher."

Tyler sighed and let his head collapse again.

"What about you? What happened with the principal?"

Craig asked cautiously. Tyler grunted before saying,

"He let me off with a warning. He said I get to stay because my temper hasn't gotten me in trouble before."

There was a pause before Scotty signed something. Craig tapped on Tyler to make him look up so that he could read his hands.

When Scotty finished Tyler sighed.

"Yeah, I guess. They're still putting research into anger management but from what I have found in the libraries has been working."

Class soon ended and the guys separated for their next classes, Craig heading to the band room.

When he walked in he began setting up his clarinet.

His dad always said he should play the trumpet or trombone, but Craig knew those instruments required confidence, something he didn't have a lot of.

The clarinet did too, but he could get away with playing it quieter.

Plus his mom liked the clarinet.

Craig pulled absentmindedly at his hoodie sleeve, double-checking it was hiding the bruise from last night.

It hadn't fully formed yet, but it was already red and patching purple.

He did a quick check on the other four, all of them safely covered.

The one place he would never show his friends was his back, as that was where the worst three were. The last one was on his thigh.

_But it's okay..._

Craig thought to himself as the director began warm-ups.

_That's why I have my mom. To help me after he has one of his fits._


	9. Chapter 9 (Jonathan and Scotty)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I added several chapters this time because I have a busy next few days. Hopefully, I'll be able to get more up soon! <3

(Jonathan)

Jonathan waited for the minutes to tick past until lunch, already finished with the class worksheet and homework for the day.

Even in the advanced classes both math and science were too simple.

The only core class he struggled with was history.

Why do people need to know so many useless names and dates?

Jonathan sighed and looked at the clock again.

There was still twelve minutes left of class.

"Excuse me?"

Jonathan looked at the student next to him who seemed confused.

He was only on question two.

"How do you find the molarity of hydrochloric acid?"

Jonathan quickly explained how to find the answer and the kid let out a long, "ohhhhhh" before nodding and working the rest of the paper himself.

Jonathan wasn't sure why he was able to pick up on concepts so quickly, but it sure did seem to surprise his classmates when he said he was a freshman in an advanced sophomore class.

David hadn't been lucky enough to get into the higher class, so he was stuck in advanced biology with the other freshmen.

Which seemed fine with his friend, he had Brian in that class. Jonathan had to admit though, he was still getting used to Ryan not being in the harder classes with him. Ever since seventh grade and the whole forcing intelligence incident though, Jonathan understood.

He went through a similar thing at home.

The bell rang and Jonathan gathered his things before leaving class.

It was Friday, so most students were chirping happily in the hall and cafeteria, although Jonathan just tried to ignore the growling of his stomach.

His grade in Latin had dropped again, down to an 83.

_Two points below the limit._

Jonathan thought to himself with a grimace.

_All because I confused a few stupid words._

Jonathan ran a hand through his hair and readjusted his glasses.

He didn't even need a foreign language to graduate, his parents had just signed him up because it looked good on a college application.

_"Like you won't get into any college you want to."_

Jonathan chuckled at the memory of the comment from his sister.

Amelia, his older sister, had dropped out of school sophomore year, claiming she was done with getting forced into stressful classes by their parents.

She had been disowned and kicked out shortly after.

Jonathan still kept in touch with her, although he had to keep it a secret from his parents and gave her a cryptic contact name. When he had told her about the college plans, she had sent him her two cents about the situation.

However, Jonathan knew how difficult it was for Amelia to get a job anywhere, even if her dropping out had been 3 years ago.

Last Jonathan heard of her, "Amon", who Jonathan told his parents was a classmate in chemistry, had gotten a job as a paper filer for some dentistry in Oregon.

Jonathan was rudely reminded of the present as his stomach cramped before growling loudly.

_Two points below._

Jonathan scolded himself, knowing he wouldn't be fed until that grade was raised back up to an 85 or higher.

As Jonathan grabbed his last meal for the weekend from his backpack, he noticed Evan, Brock, and Tyler were missing.

_This should be interesting._

He thought to himself as the others began to sit.

 

***

(Scotty)

Scotty stared out the window as the bus drove home. The day had been chaotic after Tyler and Brock fought, mostly because the whole school was talking about it. Scotty had of course been silent the whole time, only being able to speak when someone who knew ASL was in the room, and even then that was only if the person wanted to talk about anything.

Scotty sighed as he tapped his hip, one of his fidgeting techniques.

He would have to return home where he was forced to speak, even if he was more comfortable staying mute.

_All because my stupid parents don't want to learn sign language._

The finger tapped his hip faster.

As the bus pulled up to the stop, he and a few other students stood to leave.

His house was only about 5 minutes away from here, but it still gave him some time to prepare.

"Hey, mom,"

He said, silently hating how his voice didn't croak.

"Yeah, school was great. Nothing happened. Fight? I didn't hear about one. What's for dinner? Sounds delicious! Love you too, good night."

Scotty coughed when he finished the fake conversation, almost wishing for his throat to feel raw from lack of use. As he walked up to the front door he took a deep breath.

"Remember Scotty, only speak when talked to or if you talking would please them."

He whispered, hyping himself for when he opened the door.

When he closed the door behind him there came a voice from the kitchen.

"Scotty, is that you?"

"Yes, mom!"

He called back, dropping his things off in his room. He instantly began doing his homework, knowing he'd need an excuse for not talking to his parents.

After an hour his mom came into his room.

"Dinner is ready."

He gave her a nod as he finished a math problem, then stood up and headed to the table.

When he got there, his mom placed hotdogs and ketchup on the table, quickly followed by his father who placed buns and mustard.

Scotty grabbed a bowl of salad off the counter that his mother had prepared and brought it to the table with dressing.

As they began eating, Scotty's father began,

"So, how was school?"

Scotty began tapping his hip with one hand and using his other to eat some salad.

"Good,"

He said simply.

"Why didn't you talk to me when you got home?"

The tapping increased frequency.

"Homework."

His mother huffed.

"Homework is more important than family?"

Scotty stared at his plate and didn't respond.

"Voice, Scott."

His dad said, his voice tinged with a warning.

"No."

Scotty whimpered, his foot now tapping the ground quietly.

"No what?"

His mother asked, her voice cold as she glared at him.

Scotty's hands began shaking and he had to put his fork down.

"No, the family is more i-important than school."

Scotty flinched at his stutter, but the answer seemed to semi-please his parents.

"So, what homework were you doing?"

His dad asked after a few minutes.

"Geometry."

Scotty had managed to calm himself down enough to eat again and took a deep breath.

"What were you learning in geometry? You know that was my favorite subject in school."

His mom questioned her tone back to friendly.

The tapping quickened as Scotty's mind flew blank. He mumbled,

"I...I-um...I c-can't remember."

Scotty swallowed was back to shaking, his heart pounding.

"You can't remember? Try."

Her tone was back to cold and she put her hot dog down to glare at him.

"Uhh...I...I think i-it w-was..."

"SPEAK SCOTT!"

His mom shouted, causing Scotty to jump and panic.

"W-we were learning about congruent triangles and how you need to find x or y to make sure they were the same with the little dashes on the sides of the triangle and if they have the same amount of lines then they should equal the same so that's how you check your answer is you-"

"SHUT UP!"

His dad snapped, slamming his hand on the table. Scotty jumped again, stopping his panicked stream of words.

The table was silent, leaving Scotty huddled into his seat, having lost his appetite.

"Is your homework done?"

His dad growled after a while. Scotty shook his head and he heard a frustrated sigh from his mom.

"Then go finish it. And don't leave your room until it is."

Scotty nodded and quickly threw what little food he had left away and put his plate and fork in the sink before scampering toward his room and locking the door.

When he finally registered he was in his room, Scotty collapsed onto his bed, his quivering legs not able to handle him standing for much longer.

_Stupid Scotty..._

He scolded himself, sobbing into his pillow to keep it quiet.

_Stupid stupid stupid stupid..._


	10. Chapter 10 (Evan and Tyler)

(Evan)

_I've ruined everything. They'll never want me to be their friend again._

Evan was curled into a ball on his bed, inside a cocoon of blankets.

He had retreated into his "comfort ball" as soon as he got home the day before, his mom making occasional visits.

"Are you sure you don't want to go to school sweetie?"

He heard her ask quietly.

"No...I don't feel well."

He croaked, staring at one of the blankets surrounding him.

There was a pause before he heard her take a few steps closer.

"Are you going to tell me what happened yesterday?"

Her voice was soft, but Evan felt another tug on his heart.

"No..."

He whispered, curling deeper into his blankets.

His mom heaved a frustrated sigh, then his door clicked closed.

Evan released his sob, the pillows and blankets near his face already soaked with his tears.

He wasn't sure when he had stopped crying, but at some point he had fallen asleep, being awoken by a text around noon.

**Tyler**

_"Hey Evan, are you okay?"_

Evan stared at the text for several minutes, debating if he should answer or not. Eventually, he decided against it and was about to put his phone back on his bedside table when it buzzed again.

**Tyler**

_"I'm sorry about yesterday, that was stupid of me."_

_Yeah, it was._

Evan thought sourly, pulling the blankets tighter around him.

**Tyler**

_"I just heard you're sick, I hope you feel better."_

There was a pause between texts before Tyler texted again.

**Tyler**

_"Please stop avoiding us though, I know Brock scared you but I'll protect you from him."_

Evan stared at the screen for a moment before finally typing a reply.

 

***

 

(Tyler)

**Evan**

_"I'll think about it."_

Tyler felt his heart skip a beat when Evan replied. He thought he had sounded lame, desperate even with his stream of texts.

_At this point, I'm glad he responded at all._

Tyler thought with a sigh as he walked to his next class.

The other guys seemed worried about Evan as well, although Tyler felt as though his thoughts were plagued by the smaller student.

Although, Tyler feared he wouldn't have to hide his feelings from Evan much longer as the entire school was rumoring about his sexuality.

_It doesn't bother me though. I know I can handle it._

Tyler thought as he dropped his things off in his English class, the other students at the table casting him weird glances.

_I just don't know how Evan will react to the teasing._

The school day ended quickly, and Tyler found himself hurrying home so he could get some extra hours in at his job.

_Anything to keep my mind off Evan and school._

He told himself as he threw his things into his room. He quickly pulled the uniform over his head, a black, collared shirt with an embroidered panda over the heart and the words _Panda Therapy_ above and below the small bear.

He kept his jeans on before calling out,

"Bye dad, going to Anthony's!"

"Alright see you later!"

Came the raspy reply. Tyler made sure he had his phone and house keys before grabbing the car keys off the kitchen counter and hustling toward the 1989 rust-colored Buick and hopping into the driver's seat. The car creaked as he sat down, speaking as he adjusted himself to the seat and pulled his seatbelt on.

He knew it technically wasn't legal for him to drive as he was only 15, and even then his birthday was only a month prior.

_But I'm not waiting for the bus, I want to get to work early._

Tyler was just glad Anthony's dad taught him how to drive so he could care for his dad and go to work when he wanted.

As he drove the 20 minutes into the more downtown part of town, he let the radio play softly, carefully avoiding other cars and maintaining the speed limit. Finally, he pulled into the employee parking of the multi-building parking lot, his car's brakes squealing as he rolled to a stop. He flicked the car into park and looked around, smiling when he saw Mr. Brown's car parked in a nearby space.

Tyler walked into the nearest building with the sign _Panda Therapy_ in large letters above the door.

As Tyler walked in, the receptionist gave him a smile and a wave.

"Hello, Tyler! I see you're earlier than usual."

Tyler gave her a smile and a nod.

"Where's Josh?"

"He should be in his office. Anthony's not here yet."

Tyler began walking toward the back of the building, giving the lady a wave.

"That's alright. Thank you!"

Tyler hurried toward the back offices where the therapists would hold their first meetings, usually just getting the patient familiar with the place before showing them the actual therapy rooms closer to the middle of the building. The waiting rooms were at the front.

As Tyler reached the last door, he knocked, glancing at the small sign that read,

_**Josh Brown** _

_President Panda_

Tyler gave the sign a small smile before there was a "Come in!" from inside.

Tyler opened the door, seeing Anthony's dad sitting at his desk behind his computer.

"Oh hello, Tyler! Earlier than usual!"

Mr. Brown said cheerily, smiling up at Tyler.

"Yep! I'm ready to file any papers you need me to!"

Tyler chirped. Mr. Brown's smile faded slightly and he tilted his head.

"Without Anthony? Is everything alright with your dad?"

Tyler's own happy aura faltered as he remembered the state his dad was in.

The poor man was growing weaker, and Tyler knew it was only a matter of weeks until he was left alone in that house.

Tyler coughed as he shoved the thoughts to the back of his mind, coincidentally pushing the thoughts on Evan to the front.

"Yes, although he is one of many."

Tyler admitted, trying to stay focused on the room around him and not get lost in his mind.

"Well I am a therapist, would you like to have a quick session while we wait for Anthony?"

Tyler paused, then realizing this would help him, sat down in the seat across the desk from Mr. Brown.

"So, what seems to be the problem?"

He asked, closing out of whatever he was doing on his computer to give Tyler his full attention.

Tyler frowned, trying to find a way to word his thoughts before giving up and deciding to just be blunt.

"I think I'm bi."

The large man on the other side of the table flinched and there was a pause before he spoke.

"As in, the sexuality?"

Tyler nodded, staring at his hands now.

"You are aware that bi means bisexual, as in you are attracted to both genders correct?"

Tyler nodded and there was another pause.

"Why do you think this is the case? Are you finding yourself attracted to another boy?"

Tyler nodded, then added,

"I still have a crush on Kelly, but now there's a new student that I feel the same way towards. And they're a he."

Tyler cast a quick glance at Anthony's dad, seeing him biting his bottom lip and pulling a few papers out. After another pause he said,

"Well Tyler, is there anything else bothering you?"

Tyler sighed, then snapped,

"Well, I broke my friend's nose in a fight and my dad is probably going to die in a few weeks. I'd say I'm fine."

Tyler didn't mean for what he said to be so sarcastic and sharp and rubbed his temples.

_Maybe I'm a lot more stressed than I thought._

"Calm down, you know I only want to help you."

Mr. Brown said calmly.

"Now, what happened between you and your friend that caused your temper to flare up again? Who was it?"

Tyler now locked eyes with Mr. Brown, dropping his hands from his head.

"Brock. He called me a fagot."

Mr. Brown nodded solemnly.

"I see, does he know your feelings?"

Tyler scoffed,

"No, I haven't told anyone except you and my dad."

"So he was trying to upset you and hit a cord."

Mr. Brown offered knowingly. He had met all the guys before as his son was good friends with them, even if they had moved to a different school zone.

Tyler nodded, turning his head to stare at a painting of a landscape on the wall.

"May I ask who the male student is that you have developed feelings for?"

Mr. Brown asked cautiously. Tyler let a smile tug on his lips as he thought of Evan.

His smile, his hair, his eyes...his adorable laugh.

"Evan. He moved here a month before school started. He's part of our group now."

Tyler's mind pulled up an image of Evan, but he looked terrified and was crawling back to get away from Brock.

The amount of fear and hurt in his chocolate eyes made Tyler's heart ache.

"A-at least, I hope he still is."

Tyler added quietly, turning his attention back to his hands.

"What happened?"

The question was innocent in its good intentions, but it still made Tyler's blood simmer.

"Brock made him have a panic attack. Actually, I think he's made the poor kid have three. He just needs to leave Evan alone."

The way Tyler said the last comment was so cold and dark the temperature of the room felt like it dropped a few degrees.

"And in trying to protect Evan you got into a fight with Brock?"

Mr. Brown asked, looking down at a few papers and writing something.

Tyler nodded absentmindedly, remembering Brock's face after he had broken his nose. The blood flowing from his friend's face made Tyler cringe internally.

_I never want to hurt someone again._

He told himself, waiting for Mr. Brown to ask him another question.

Just have to get my stupid temper under control.

Finally, Mr. Brown said,

"Alright, Tyler. Anything else?"

Tyler shook his head, looking up at his friend's dad.

"Okay, then I'm happy to tell you that you're fine. Do you feel better after talking about it?"

Tyler paused for a moment, then nodded.

He always felt better after one of these sessions.

"Good! Then I can gladly tell you that your anger management lessons have helped, as this is your only incident for several months. And about you being bisexual,"

Tyler felt his nerves spike as the two locked eyes.

"If it bothers you that much I'm sure I could find something, or are you happy being attracted to both sexes?"

Tyler's breathing hitched half-expecting Mr. Brown to scold him for being homosexual, but not expecting this question.

Tyler shrugged.

"I-I guess, but you're not upset with me?"

Mr. Brown let out a loud laugh, similar to the laugh classic of his son, but without as much wheezing.

"Of course not! My son is gay so I had to accept it at some point. Besides, it doesn't harm you until homophobic people find out and you get picked on. Anyway, that should be it. If you ever need another session tell me."

Mr. Brown said with a wide smile, causing Tyler to grin as well.

_How could I forget Anthony was gay?_

Tyler thought with a smile.

_He admitted to having a small crush on me when I found out he was with a guy._

There was a knock on the door before it opened, and Anthony walked in.

"Looks like we ended just in time! How are you, Anthony?"

Mr. Brown piped up. Anthony let out an exasperated sigh and closed the door.

"Sorry I was late, I may or may not have fallen asleep in my last class."

They all let out a chuckle and Anthony walked toward Tyler, ruffling his hair.

"You guys having a session without me? What is it this time?"

Mr. Brown looked at Tyler, and the two made eye contact with a knowing glint.

_"It's your choice to tell him."_

Tyler could almost hear the man saying as he looked back at Anthony.

_If I had to tell someone, it would be Anthony._

Tyler grinned and stood up, giving Anthony a noogie.

"This guy has his eyes set on a man!"

He felt Anthony stiffen in his arms and released him so his friend could look at him. Anthony turned around with his mouth hanging open and his eyes shining with a million emotions.

"You're gay?"

He asked finally. Tyler chuckled and felt his cheeks redden.

"Bi, but sure."

Anthony grabbed Tyler's arms, his look of surprise quickly replaced with one of excitement.

"Who?"

Tyler chuckled and stared into the distance, picturing his happy Evan before the Halloween party.

"His name is Evan. He has golden-tan skin, chocolate eyes, and the softest hair."

Tyler found himself listening to the memory of Evan's laugh, only being brought to the present when he heard Anthony's.

"Sounds nice, you got him in the group?"

Tyler smiled and nodded before Mr. Brown stood and clapped his hands together.

"Alright, session over. Time to get to work!"

Tyler nodded and gave the man a wink and a salute.

"Yes, sir!"

The older man rolled his eyes and pushed a stack of papers toward the two teens.

"Here, these need to be filed. I'll have everyone else pile the finished folders here too."

The guys nodded and grabbed a portion of the files before heading toward the cabinets to sort them.

Tyler always had a fascination with therapy and the mind. He loved reading the notes on the patients and what the therapist thought could be the mental issue with them. However, Tyler knew these patients had these problems for a reason and it was never a laughing matter.

Tyler sighed as he flipped through the first file, his eyes skimming the page.

Name: Alison

Sex: Female

Gender: Female

Pronouns: She/Her

Sexuality: Straight

Possible Mental Illnesses: Anxiety, Bipolar Depression, Schizophrenia

Additional Notes: Likes wolves, books, and YouTube; playing any music calms her, although her favorites are Twenty One Pilots and Fun.; wears a hoodie for comfort although her father forces her to not wear it

There was a picture of the patient next to her name, as well as several pages of notes taken during her sessions. Tyler closed the file, putting it in its proper place before moving on through them as Anthony did the same.

Occasionally they would share the more tragic stories, like of one person who prefers they/them pronouns because their parents forced them into the life of a girl when they wanted to be a boy. This lead to abuse before they were finally taken out of that house and put into the foster system. Unfortunately, them having they/them pronouns has made it hard for a family to adopt them. Although by the sounds of the most recent notes their current household has been pretty accepting.

Tyler and Anthony worked until dinner when Mr. Brown sent Tyler home to help his dad.

It was two weeks until Thanksgiving, so Tyler began saving up so they could have a small but special dinner like every year.

_Although this one will probably be his last._

Tyler pushed the thought out of his mind as he pulled into the apartment complex and hurried to his place.

As he opened the door he called out,

"Dad, I'm home!"

"My room Ty."

Came the weak reply. As Tyler began helping his dad to the bathroom again, his dad seemed to be deep in thought.

"Whatchya thinkin' about dad?"

He asked as the bathroom door was closed.

"Tyler, we both know I'm getting weaker."

Tyler felt his heart tug as he leaned against the door.

"So I have something to ask."

"O-okay what is it?"

Tyler asked, staring at the handle.

"I want you to bring Evan over."

Tyler waited a moment for his dad to continue, then asked,

"Why?"

There was a grunt before there was a weak knock on the door and Tyler opened it to help his dad to his wheelchair.

"I want to see him before I die. Just so I can approve of him."

His dad winked as he sat down. And Tyler laughed weakly.

"Okay, dad. I'll invite him over soon."

"Promise?"

His dad held up a shaking hand, his pinky lifted slightly. Tyler smiled warmly and curled his pinky around his dad's.

"Promise."


	11. Chapter 11 (Evan and Tyler)

(Evan)

Evan sat in the nearly empty class tapping his foot, his heart thumping heavily in his chest.

His mom had forced him to go to school, saying he should go before he got too behind on schoolwork. Now his anxiety was peaked and he was just watching the door as a few people walked past.

It was still 10 minutes until class started.

"Are you sure you don't need anything?"

His teacher asked, frowning at him from her desk.

"N-no Ms. Howe, I just a needed what we did yesterday."

"Well you didn't need to come so early, you could've spent more time talking to your friends."

Evan looked down at the paper on his desk.

"N-n-no thanks. I just wanted t-to get to class early."

There was a pause before Ms. Howe asked,

"Are you sure you're feeling better?"

Evan wanted to tell her no so he could go back to the nurse and hide from his friends longer. He had even managed to avoid Mark and Sean for the morning.

_Oh god, I don't know what I'm going to do._

"Yeah, I'm sure."

He answered weakly. Ms. Howe didn't ask any more questions and went back to grading papers.

Evan cast a glance at his backpack, where he had stuffed a few of his fidget things.

Or, what he called his habit, as he did it all the time he wasn't at school or doing homework.

Evan looked up, making sure the only other person in the room was Ms. Howe.

_Teachers don't judge as harshly as peers._

Evan told himself, looking down at his backpack again. He sighed and after glancing around the room one last time unzipped one of the pockets.

He pulled out some thin string, deciding to start with a bit of a warm-up.

He tied a classic shoelace knot, and with the remaining string tied several overhand knots. When he finished and was pleased with his work he glanced around, seeing only a few other students in the class. He checked the time to see he still had roughly three minutes until the bell rang and smiled to himself as he pulled out a thicker string, a bit longer than his warm-up piece. He started with tying a figure 8 knot on one end and tying a butterfly knot next to it. He tied a few more in before tying a bowline knot in the middle and adding some more butterfly knots. At the end, he tied a stopper knot.

He sat back to admire his work, looking up to realize he missed the bell ring and class had started.

"That's really cool!"

Came a comment from beside Evan. He stiffened and looked, seeing Craig giving him a soft smile.

"Where did you learn to tie knots like that? That's really cool!"

Craig commented again, although Evan could only stare in horror. He quickly scrambled to pull the string back into his backpack, hating himself for getting comfortable enough to tie knots in class.

_Stupid stupid stupid stupid..._

Evan scolded himself as he turned his attention to the paper in front of him, still mentally yelling at himself.

"What's wrong? I didn't mean to startle you."

Craig said apologetically. Evan didn't look at him, just grind his teeth and try to read the paper as flashbacks of his old school resurfaced behind his eyes.

-

_"What are you doing? Making friendship bracelets?"_

_"Who would he be making them for? He has no friends!"_

_"Hey, imaginary friends count."_

_"I doubt anything from his mind would want to live, let alone be stuck with him all the time."_

_"And I bet they'd kill themselves if they had to wear one of those."_

_Evan looked up from his desk only when one of the bullies snatched one of the knot ropes he'd been working on._

_"Give it back."_

_He asked, trying to keep his anxiety to a low._

_"Or else what? You'll tie me to death? Why don't you just run home and tie yourself a noose?"_

_The bullies only left him alone after they had cut apart all his knots, which they did because they couldn't figure out how to untie them._

*

_Then he was standing in the school bathroom, trying to learn how to tie a hangman's knot from a book he had borrowed from the library._

_He was trying to memorize the steps so he could use it at home._

_Suddenly, the bathroom door opened and several people stormed in, the one leading them the same student that had been his best friend for years and the worst bully for the past few months._

_"There he is. See? He's tying a noose to kill himself."_

_The student pointed at Evan and several teachers hurried to Evan's side, taking the book, his knots, and backpack away from him._

_"Hey, give that back!"_

_Evan shouted, jumping up to try and reach his bag._

_"No son, everything will be okay. You'll get the help you need."_

_Evan had never seen the teacher that spoke to him in his life, which only made him resist harder as he was pinned to the wall._

_"No please! Let me have my knots back!"_

_It had taken months for him to get his things back, and after spending two weeks in Hope Peace (a mental hospital) he was seemingly back on track for life. Luckily, the school had come to an end during his time in the hospital (which was one of the few places Evan actually enjoyed and didn't hate) and his mom made plans to move him away to somewhere new, giving him a new start at life._

-

Evan was pulled out of his mind by Craig placing a hand on his shoulder.

"You okay?"

He asked worriedly, his voice hushed to keep out of earshot of the teacher.

Evan was brought back to the memories of his new friends, immediately being kind enough to take him in and always being nice to him, besides Brock, but usually he left Evan alone.

"Y-yeah. I'm fine."

Evan sighed finally, his anxiety lowering as he smiled at Craig.

"Sorry for...for avoiding you guys."

Evan said, frowning and looking down at the table. Craig's eyes widened in surprise before his smile grew.

"Seriously Evan, we should be apologizing to you for how we forced you into uncomfortable situations. I'm just glad you're talking to me again."

Evan chuckled softly and smiled before a frown tugged at his lips again.

"Just...just never tell anyone what you saw. W-with the knots."

Evan stuttered, locking eyes with Craig to show he was serious. Craig seemed confused but nodded anyway.

"Sure, I won't tell anyone if you don't want me to."

Evan felt a weight lift off his chest and sighed in relief.

"Thanks."

He said as the bell rang.

"Of course. That's what friends do."

Craig said simply, throwing his arm over Evan's shoulders as they walked to class. Evan giggled.

"Yeah, friends."

He mused to himself.

 

***

 

(Tyler)

Tyler had to admit, he did almost punch Craig in the face.

He was just trying to protect Evan, and when he saw Craig's arm around him he was half a second away from throwing Craig off of him. That is, until he realized Evan was laughing and smiling happily.

As the two dropped their stuff off at their desks Tyler walked up to them cautiously.

"Hey Evan, nice to see you again."

Tyler chirped. Evan looked at him and flinched.

"H-Hey Tyler."

He mumbled, refusing to look at him. Craig and Tyler frowned, looking at each other before back at Evan.

"What's wrong?"

Craig asked, taking his arm off Evan and trying to catch his eyes. Evan sighed and glanced back up at Tyler before staring at his feet.

"I...I just feel bad that Tyler got his nose broken because of me."

Tyler blinked for a moment, processing what he said before Tyler and Craig spoke at the same time,

"What?"

Evan nodded solemnly.

"I heard what happened. I'm sorry."

Tyler couldn't stop the laugh from escaping his lips and Evan stared at him in shock.

"Oh Evan, no I broke _Brock's_ nose. He didn't land a hit on me."

Evan blinked, then a smile landed on his face.

"Really?"

Tyler laughed again and said,

"Of course! That jerk bag may be rude, but he's way smaller than I am. And after how mean he was to you, I had to do something."

Evan's cheeks reddened slightly before he said,

"Thanks, Tyler."

Tyler felt his own face warm and tried to play it off with a cough before sitting as the teacher began class.

...

Tyler scouted the crowd for Evan as the cafeteria began filling with people. He saw Brock making his way toward the table, a small bandage the only evidence of his fractured nose. Tyler held back a growl, only stopping himself by resuming his search for Evan. Finally, he spotted his friend in his usual green hoodie and black backpack snaking his way through the crowd, until Tyler forced his way toward him.

"Hey Evan, let's walk to the table together."

Evan looked up in surprise, then gave him a small smile.

"Okay."

He sounded down about something, so Tyler frowned as they began walking.

"What's up? You don't sound too happy."

Evan was staring at the ground and didn't look up as he scoffed.

"Yeah. I kind of upset my friends."

Tyler paused, honestly kind of surprised that their group of friends weren't the only ones he had. As he thought about it more though, he did remember seeing two students with Evan when they tried to confront him.

"What happened?"

He asked, casting a glance at Evan. The smaller kid sighed.

"I usually ride the bus with him, but today I avoided him like I did you guys. When he saw me in class I was saying bye to Brian which upset him because that meant I was friends with you guys again but ignoring him and Sean."

There was a pause, and as they were almost at the table Evan said quietly,

"He told me to shut up in sign language when I tried to explain. Then he refused to talk to me."

They were a few feet from the table when Evan stopped, still staring at the floor.

"G-go ahead Tyler. I-I'll be back."

He stuttered. Tyler scrunched his eyebrows in worry and placed a hand on Evan's shoulder.

"No come on, the table is right here and then you can eat your lunch."

Tyler offered, beginning to try and drag Evan toward the table.

"I said I'd be back Tyler."

Evan snapped, looking up to glare at the taller student. Tyler couldn't help the gasp that escaped when he heard the sharpness in Evan's tone, and when Evan winced he knew he sounded more aggressive than he meant to.

"Okay."

Tyler said simply, taking the last few steps and sitting down. Evan stared at him for a moment, then turned and walked briskly out the door and vanishing from sight.

"What happened to Evan?"

Craig asked, watching their friend storm off. His voice was thick with worry and made Tyler's nerves twitch.

_No, I will not panic over this. Evan said he'd be right back._

.

..

...

Evan never returned to the table that day.


	12. Chapter 12 (Evan)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _-A/N: Extreme caution in this next chapter. There is a bullying/ threat of rape scene so please be careful about choosing to read that section._
> 
> _To skip that scene I have bolded:_
> 
> **"Your name is Evan, right?"**
> 
> _Stop reading there and skip until you see the other bolded part:_
> 
> **Brock glanced at him and asked,**
> 
> _Everything else before and after that section is fine and you'll be filled in with what happened in another scene (without the details of course)._
> 
> _Anyway, enjoy!_

Evan was forcing his panic and tears down, trying to find the nearest bathroom that would be empty.

He could always try the janitor closet too.

Finally, he came to a vacated hallway and entered the bathroom, checking all the stalls were empty before collapsing into the corner and sobbing.

"You're so _stupid_ Evan!"

He told himself.

"Mark and Sean were so nice to you and now they hate you!"

Evan heard the whispers of other voices, but when he shushed himself he couldn't hear anything.

After another pause, he sniffled, covering his face with his hands.

_"You don't deserve any friends."_

_"You're such a loser."_

_"You can't even be friends right!"_

Now Evan was sure he was hearing voices, but when he looked up there was nobody there.

_"Stupid Evan."_

_"So stupid."_

_"Nobody likes you."_

Now Evan was sure he was going crazy.

_Are the voices in my head?_

He had heard of people hearing voices, he had even met a few during his time in the mental hospital.

_"Now you're insane."_

_"You should get sent away where nobody will have to see your face again!"_

Evan stared at the tile floor, shaking with his eyes wide.

_"Knots. Tie knots."_

Came one voice, kinder than the rest. Evan nodded to himself and dug through his backpack, ignoring the protesting voices in his head.

He yanked out a cord and cut it to the desired length before beginning to tie several knots, as many as he could fit onto the cord.

Eventually, the voices faded away, and Evan could hear nothing but the sound of his labored breathing and the squeaking of shoes outside.

_Wait-_

Evan realized as he looked up and saw two students walk into the bathroom. They smirked when they saw Evan huddled in the corner, and Evan froze in fear and shock.

"Look what we have here."

One of them said, taking several steps toward Evan.

"Looks like a baby. I bet he wants his mommy."

The other one sneered. Evan slowly began putting the knotted cord into his backpack and calming his breathing.

"Whatchya got there loser?"

The first one pressed, grabbing Evan's arm and yanking him to his feet.

"I-i-it...uhm..."

He stuttered, still shivering slightly.

"I..I..I'm a baby!"

One of them mocked, rolling his eyes and putting on a fake pout.

"Shut up Link."

Snapped the first one again, elbowing his friend. The second one, Link, snarled at his friend before smirking at Evan again.

"Heard you balling your eyes out in the hallway, decided we'd pay you a visit."

He said haughtily.

"What's this?"

The first one pressed, holding up the knotted cord.

"Oh my god look Rhett, he was making a noose!"

Link said, laughing. Evan felt his blood freeze as he looked at the knotted cord, but he didn't see any knot that resembled a noose.

"Well if he was, he obviously doesn't know how to do it right."

Rhett growled, throwing the cord back at Evan.

"Next time you want to kill yourself, at least look up how to do it right."

Rhett snapped. He turned to walk away, but Link stopped him.

"Wait, Rhett, wasn't this the pussy that was crawling away from the fight the other day?"

He asked with a wide smile, his dark eyes glinting mischievously behind his glasses.

Rhett turned back around, looking Evan up and down before smiling.

"I was wondering why you looked familiar."

Rhett stepped nearer to Evan, pinning him against the wall.

**"Your name is Evan, correct?"**

Rhett asked, his tone calm and calculated. Evan could only nod as his heart pounded in his chest.

"Yeah, the one that's gay with Tyler!"

Link spat, yanking Evan's backpack away from him. Evan tried to grab it back but Rhett shoved him back against the wall.

"You know, Tyler and that gang used to be our friends."

He said casually like that was common knowledge.

"Then one day, we realized they were just a bunch of soft fucks."

Rhett spat the words like poison, Evan flinching from the swears.

"Makes sense why your bitch ass is with them."

"So what do you and Tyler do? Make out? Fuck?"

Rhett scoffed at Link's question.

"I doubt Evan could handle a dick. They probably hold hands and make out."

Rhett paused from where he had been looking at Link and turned back to Evan.

"Although, I bet we could teach Evan a few things about handling Tyler's cock."

Evan froze as Rhett's grip on him tightened and his eyes glittered with lust.

"As a kind of gift, from some old friends."

Link was giggling to himself behind Rhett.

Evan began to register what Rhett was saying and tried to running away, only for Rhett to shove him harder against the wall.

"No no no, trust me. Tyler will love seeing what his boyfriend can do."

Rhett's voice was thick and the words were cold.

"I-I'm not his boyfriend!"

Evan cried, trashing against the iron grip of Rhett. The bell rang, echoing down the hallway and into the bathroom. Rhett didn't seem to hear it.

"The bell rang, just let me go!"

Evan said, hoping the begging in his voice wasn't as audible to them as it was to him.

"Perfect. Then if anyone sees us they'll know you're a cheating whore,"

Rhett purred.

"No!"

Evan screamed as Rhett began readjusting his hands to simultaneously hold Evan against the wall with one hand and unzip his pants with the other.

"Evan?"

Called a familiar voice. The three guys froze before Rhett looked at Link and motioned with his head for Link to check it out.

Link nodded and walked toward the door as the person called,

"Evan? Are you in there?"

There was the sound of someone walking in and Link stopped by the entrance to the bathroom.

"Buzz off! It's occupied."

Link snapped at the person. There was a scuffle and Link was suddenly thrown against the wall, hitting his head against the wall before slumping down, unconscious.

"Link?"

Rhett growled, quickly zipping up his pants and releasing Evan. Evan's legs collapsed beneath him and he slid down the wall, eyes glued to the hallway.

Brock turned the corner, seeing Evan sitting against the wall with wide, terrified eyes and Rhett standing in front of him with a scowl.

"What the fuck is going on here?"

He hissed, eyes narrowing at Rhett. Evan began trying to stand only to get kicked by Rhett.

"Stay down bitch. I'll finish with you in a second."

Evan felt his heart begin pounding again and huddled further into the corner. Brock glanced at him before looking back at Rhet and walking toward him.

"Don't make me repeat myself."

Brock spat. Rhett took a few steps toward him as well.

"If you want to know so bad, I was teaching Tyler's pet how to fuck."

Brock paled and glanced at Evan before rounding back on Rhett and shoving him against the wall beside Evan.

"I swear if you hurt a fucking hair on his body I will kill you myself."

Rhett forced Brock off of him and yanked Evan's hair, forcing him to stand. Evan let out a yelp and scrambled to his feet, tears coming to his eyes from the pain.

"Watch me."

Rhett snapped. Brock grabbed the hand holding Evan and squeezed it until the hand began to fade to a dark red from a blood backlog. Rhett was grinding his teeth trying to keep a hold on Evan, digging his fingers into Evan's scalp.

"Owwww!"

Evan whined, his head feeling like fire was dripping down.

Brock growled and squeezed harder until there was a snap and Rhett cried out before letting Evan go. Evan grabbed his head and stumbled away watching Brock hold Rhett's broken hand.

**Brock glanced at him and asked,**

"Are you okay?"

Evan could only nod in reply but leaned against the sinks as Brock looked back at Rhett.

"Now that my _friend_ is out of the way, I'm going to give you two seconds to leave this bathroom before I beat the shit out of you."

Brock released Rhett who immediately grabbed his broken hand and cradled it. He glared at Brock, then ran out of the bathroom, kicking Link awake as he ran past.

Link lifted his head and looked around confusedly, seeing Brock staring at him. His eyes widened and he struggled to his feet, stumbling out of the bathroom before there was the sound of someone falling outside. Evan was staring at the entrance of the bathroom while holding his head when the bell rang.

"We're late..."

He whispered to himself, letting his eyes fall to the tile floor of the bathroom. He jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder and looked to see Brock with his hand outstretched.

"Are you sure you're okay? He didn't do anything to you?"

Evan relaxed and shook his head, staring at the floor again. After a pause, Brock grabbed Evan's backpack from where it had been discarded and threw it over his shoulder.

"Let's go, Evan. I'll take you to Tyler."

Evan looked up in surprise, seeing Brock's face twisted in worry and slight sadness.

"O-okay."

Evan whispered, reaching toward his bag. Brock shook his head and gently pushed Evan's hand down.

"I got it. You just relax and I'll get you to Tyler."

Evan paused, then nodded as the two left the bathroom. As they walked down the hallway, Evan suddenly stopped.

He had several pressing questions that he couldn't hold back any longer.

Brock took a few more steps before stopping and turning to look back at Evan.

"Evan? What's wrong?"

He asked, taking a few steps closer. Although, he stopped when they were a bit apart. Evan was glad for the space.

"Why did you help me?"

He asked finally, looking up at Brock. Brock seemed taken aback, and scoffed, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Well, I know I haven't been the kindest to you, and I'm sorry. Things have been...stressful...at home, and I shouldn't have taken it out on you."

There was a pause.

"Besides, you're part of our group of friends, that's why I'm there. To protect all of you guys."

He took a step toward Evan and rustled his raven hair a bit.

"Including you."

Evan smiled and hugged Brock.

"Thank you."

Brock stiffened for a second, then tentatively hugged Evan back before quickly releasing him.

"Come on, let's find Tyler. He's better at calming you down."

Evan chuckled at the comment but frowned when the words of Rhett and Link came back to his mind.

_Tyler's boyfriend._

Why did they think they were dating?

Evan was asexual if anything, as he hadn't felt any desires for anybody for as long as he could remember.

Evan glanced at Brock before asking,

"Brock, why did they think I was dating Tyler?"

Brock froze, and for a moment Evan thought he had said something to upset him again.

Then, the taller student turned to look at Evan, his face steely.

"Is that what Rhett and Link were saying?"

Evan nodded and Brock frowned, looking at the wall behind Evan. He sighed then said,

"When Tyler and I fought, I said some things I shouldn't have."

Brock then turned and continued walking, and Evan hurried after him in confusion.

" _You_ said I was dating Tyler?"

Evan gasped, trying to keep pace with Brock. Brock groaned and turned a corner, disappearing for a second before Evan saw him leaning against the wall.

"Why would you say that?"

Evan asked, hurt blossoming in his heart. Brock looked at Evan through narrowed eyes and huffed,

"I didn't say you were dating, I said he was gay. The guys must've taken it as you two were dating."

Evan frowned and stared at his feet, only for Brock to grab his arm.

"Let's go get Tyler."

Evan nodded, letting Brock lead him through the hallway.

Eventually, they stopped at a classroom door and Brock gently stopped Evan with a hand on his shoulder.

"Tyler's in there. Wait here and I'll go get him."

Evan nodded and Brock opened the door, slipping into the class. There was about a minute of Evan loitering outside the class, looking up and down the hallways awkwardly. Finally, the door opened and Tyler stepped out, looking really confused until he saw Evan.

"Evan? What happened?"

He hurried to hide side, pulling Evan into a hug as Brock stepped back out of the class.

Evan blinked as he registered Tyler's question, and all the emotions of the ordeal in the bathroom came rushing back. He felt his inner walls crumble and he gripped Tyler tightly, sobbing into Tyler's shoulder.

"Shh...shh. It's okay."

Tyler hushed, rubbing Evan's back in little circles. After a few minutes, Evan calmed down, reduced to sniffling as slight drowsiness tugged at his eyelids.

As Evan began to doze off, he's heard Brock say,

"Classes are going to end soon, we should take him somewhere else."

Tyler grunted in agreement and Evan was scooped up, being carried bridal style. Evan closed his eyes, letting himself drift between consciousness as he listened to the guys.

"I'll take him to my car, drive around for a while."

Evan liked the vibration of Tyler speaking and smiled slightly. After a while, Tyler spoke again,

"So, what happened?"

Brock's voice was slightly muffled as he said,

"I'm not entirely sure. I heard Evan yelling 'no' after I left the table and went to investigate. None other than _Link_ comes and tells me I can't go in so I push him out of the way and see Rhett holding Evan against the wall."

He pauses and Evan can hear Tyler's heart hammering.

There's more vibrating as Tyler presses,

"What was he doing?"

There was a longer pause before Brock spoke,

"His exact words or summary?"

Tyler growled immediately,

"Exact words."

Brock sighed and said,

"According to Rhett, he was, ' _teaching Tyler's pet how to fuck_.'"

Tyler didn't respond for a while, although, Evan could hear his heart hammering and feel his fingers twitching.

"Did he do anything to Evan?"

The growl was soft, yet Evan felt his spine tingle with the threat.

"As far as I could tell, no. Evan didn't seem too badly shaken until he saw you."

Tyler's grip on Evan tightened slightly and his heart began slowing.

"Thank you."

Tyler said softly after a long while.

"You're welcome."

Brock quipped.

Evan heard a car door open and was suddenly placed on a soft surface as the door was closed. Evan opened his eyes slightly, seeing an old car interior around him. The driver's side door opened and Tyler slipped inside, seeing Evan awake.

"Hey, Evan. How are you feeling?"

He said gently with a smile. Evan smiled back, the top of his head aching dully.

"Fine, a little achy."

Evan mumbled. Tyler stiffened and turned back to Evan from where he had been rummaging in the back.

"Where?"

He asked curiously, although his eyes seemed to be searching Evan for something.

"Here."

He whined with a hand on his head. Tyler relaxed with a sigh and he tilted his head.

"What happened?"

"Rhett scratched me."

Evan yawned as Tyler handed him an old blanket.

Tyler huffed but didn't bring up the topic anymore.

"We're just going to drive around. Do you want to go home?"

Evan thought about it for a moment, then shook his head.

"Just get us back here for me to catch my bus."

Evan mumbled, curling into the blanket and leaning against the window. He heard Tyler chuckle as the car started up.

"Of course Evan."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed that intense little chapter! I actually wrote Evan's little bout of Schizophrenia after my own experiences with it, so hopefully, that wasn't too weird. Anyway, like always if you have any questions go ahead and ask away in the comments!   
> See you tomorrow! <3


	13. Chapter 13 (Evan, Narrator, and Mr. Wine)

(Evan)

The weeks melted away as Thanksgiving neared. Evan had tried to apologize to Mark and Sean for avoiding them but they were always talking with a new kid, and from what Evan could gather his name was Felix.

Evan resorted to sitting alone on the bus, retreating into his introvert shell until first period.

He hated admitting how upset he was over losing those few friends.

He missed those peaceful walks where they would just hang out and enjoy each other’s presences in the park.

_I’ll talk to him in third period. I don’t want to lose more friends...if I haven’t already._

Evan managed to stay focused and happy during the beginning of the day, but he felt anxiety nip at his stomach as he walked to his class with Mark.

When he walked into the classroom he saw the student staring at his hands as he fiddled with his thumbs. Evan dropped his things off by his seat and Mark looked up at him, guilt and remorse glinting in his dark eyes.

“Evan, I need to apologize.”

“Mark, we need to talk.”

They spoke at the same time, startling each other.

“Wait, what?”

Evan asked. Mark frowned and looked down at the table.

“I’m sorry I have been avoiding you. I way overreacted and I feel really bad. Can we be friends again?”

Evan soaked in the words, then smiled warmly at Mark’s question.

“Of course, I miss walking with you and Sean through the parks.”

Evan admitted. Mark chuckled and ran a hand through his hair.

“Yeah, we have Felix now, although we only have last period together.”

Evan felt a pang at being replaced so quickly but kept the smile on his face.

_At least we talk again._

 

***

 

(Narrator)

 

It was the day of Thanksgiving.

Families came together for the annual meal, and the broken families pieced together for at least an hour.

Those ill seemed to stabilize for a few days and those who were aggressive or depressed seemed to be brought to a passive level.

Evan and his mom had been invited over to Tyler’s for Thanksgiving dinner, with his mom bringing the turkey and Tyler preparing mashed potatoes and stuffing.

Evan had the idea of surprising them with a small pumpkin pie, which left his mom smiling happily as they purchased the ingredients and the pie.

He had not resumed his walks with Mark and Sean, they never seemed to invite him again.

However, they were back on a speaking basis. Evan just thought the relationship would never be as close as it once was.

With the group of guys though, whom they had called the “Banana Bus Squad” after David made a sleep-deprived comment about how school buses were really bananas on wheels, Evan had never been closer to his friends.

As he and his mom drove toward Tyler’s, Tyler was more flustered than ever.

He had managed to get the dinner all prepared and table set up perfectly for when Evan arrived. When he had told his dad that he had invited Evan over his dad had smiled happily.

_“I can’t wait.”_

Had been his words a few days ago, although just this morning his dad could no longer speak.

And the poor man could hardly chew or swallow his food from breakfast.

Tyler had asked him if he would even want to eat dinner and he nodded.

There was a message hidden in his green eyes that Tyler had no way of knowing.

With throat too weak for words and hands too weak to write or sign, Tyler would never know what he wanted to say.

But you, reader, will know...soon enough.

Evan and his mother arrived around 5:13 pm, with Tyler pacing the apartment until he saw their car pull up. He ran down the stairs and met them, eagerly leading them to the apartment.

Tyler introduced his father, who could only smile weakly in response.

Tyler had to quickly explain his father’s predicament, and the two nodded with understanding yet sympathetic smiles.

Dinner was amazing.

They played a quiet radio to fill the silence as they ate. Stories of a mother’s childhood and friendly banter danced their way around the apartment as a silent observer smiled on.

At some point, Tyler had managed to convince Evan’s mom to teach him the song so he could calm Evan at school if he ever needed to. To which Evan listened to with an embarrassed and flushed face.

 

***

 

(Mr. Wine)

 

Mr. Wine loved watching his son interact with the two guests. He could see the gentleness in his actions with Evan, the fire of love and joy sparking when he looked at the smaller boy.

It seemed all was well.

Except of course, for the message he had to retain from his son.

He didn’t withhold the information intentionally.

_“I want to eat my last meal with you, son.”_

He wished to speak those words, but he was also partially glad he couldn’t.

He didn’t want to see the sadness and hurt in Tyler’s eyes as his last memory.

So instead of doing anything rash, he struggled through each painstaking bite of the meal that had been so loving lot prepared.

And watched with falling eyelids he forced open as they interacted with jovial smiles and laughs.

And smiled as wide as he could although he knew it looked weak.

He was glad his son had found this boy that made him happy.

He never really liked that Kelly girl.

He could hear the rasping wheeze of his lungs as he forced another breath in and out of his lungs.

It hurt.

Everything hurt.

Everything was weak and broken and yet he was stuck.

Almost frozen in time.

_Almost._

He studied the old watch bound across his wrist with falling interest as the hours ticked past.

The Fongs left, and Mr. Wine felt his head lean limply against his chair as he was dragged into unconsciousness.

He heard the warbled sound of Tyler cleaning up, and a brush of soft fabric as a blanket was draped over him.

There was a soft kiss on his temple from his son and he gave him one last smile as his eyes slid closed.

_I love you son._

He thought, feeling the pain begin to fade.

_Never forget that._

He sucked in one last breath and heaved it out before falling still.

***

(Narrator)

Tyler knew not of his father’s passing as he tidied up the kitchen and living room, smiling and humming to himself as he recounted the night’s actions.

Evan and his mother drove home happily, smiling at how well diner went and how they felt that Tyler and his dad deserved the leftovers they left.

The stars glimmered in the night sky as leaves drifted off their trees.

Jonathan’s first home meal in the passing weeks was pleasant.

Craig and his mother wandered the moonlit park as his father slept drunkenly at home.

Scotty had managed to say very little during dinner as he parents were in a good mood.

Brock and his brother had their own special dinner in the safety of their room.

And the others of whom circumstances you know not of yet, we’re calmed to an acceptable level, for this one night.

This one night of sympathy from the author.


	14. Chapter 14 (Evan)

December.

Christmas.

In society, those words might as well be synonyms.

The chaos that ensued the day after Thanksgiving at every store and lawn was enough to bother even the calmest person.

It was ironic how the "time of peace" was more like the time of stress and panic.

Evan found himself caught in a social trap similar to Halloween; Brian planning their small social parties, the school discussing holiday plans and decorations littering the streets.

Except, Tyler wasn't happy like he used to be.

With his father's death the day after Thanksgiving, the taller student had been rather quiet lately. Evan tried to comfort him with a smile whenever they glanced at each other, and that seemed to cheer Tyler up for a few moments.

"Evan, did you hear me?"

Evan blinked out of his thoughts to see his mom looking at him while she put the car in drive.

"Uh...no?"

Evan admitted sheepishly. His mother sighed and shook her head with a smile.

"I _said_ , do you know what you want to get everyone for Christmas?"

Evan giggled as his mom pulled out of the driveway and began their trip to the store.

"Hmm...I think I want to give Tyler a new pair of shoes. He said he's been needing some for a while."

Him mom hummed happily before asking,

"Do you know what size shoe he wears?"

"I think it was a size 10."

Evan said as he racked his mind. His mother nodded, then pulled to a stop in front of a stoplight. They didn't speak for a while, listening to the quiet radio and waiting for the light to change.

Finally, the opposing light changed red, and soon after the light in front of Evan changed green.

They began driving forward with the car beside them as Evan heard the roaring engine of a sports car. When the sound wasn't coming from beside or behind them, Evan looked to his left to see a car speeding toward them. They didn't seem to see their red light as the car sped up as it neared the intersection.

Evan felt his heart pound and whined,

"Mom?"

She turned to see what he was looking at and swerved the car half a second before they were T-boned.

...

The crunching of metal screeched into Evan's ears as he scrunched his eyes shut. The world was spinning before it was yanked to a stop. There was a puff of air and something covered Evan's face, suffocating him as he tried to shove it away.

Everything seemed to quiet except the hissing of air and the sound of something dripping. There was a car horn somewhere to his front right, but his vision was blocked by the airbag in front of him. He finally got the bag far enough away he could breathe and looked around frantically as the bag deflated. He was shaking like a leaf and saw some snowflakes begin to dapple the carnage of metal around him.

_The first snow._

Evan told himself, trying to focus on the snow that was falling peacefully.

He could feel heat and there was an orange glow on the edges of his vision.

_I need to calm down._

He told himself, yet he didn't struggle with breathing like he felt he should. He was just shaking.

Evan frowned and ground his teeth before taking a deep breath. He then looked around, beginning to assess the situation he was in.

There were twisted pieces of metal all around him.

In his car, the front was heavily crushed into the side of the car that had been beside them, with the person trying to get out of their seatbelt so they could crawl out the passenger side.

Evan could see his mom, and she seemed to be unconscious. 

Her seat was bent and crushed and her body conformed to the odd angle as best it could.

There was shouting and the heat that was once just noticeable was now beginning to cause Evan to sweat. The cracking of flames was growing louder and smoke began filling the small space Evan was enclosed in.

He was trapped.

The car in front of him sandwiched him between the seat and the dashboard, crushing the front of the car until Evan couldn't move. His eyes widened as he began searching for an escape, panic only now beginning to rise.

"Help!"

He squeaked, the fear biting into his voice.

"Help!"

He began struggling to get out, finding he could slide up and out of the metal tomb, he just didn't have a good angle.

He could hear people talking and car horns, with a siren blaring closer.

"Help me!"

Evan screamed now, trying to catch the attention of someone as he felt the fire burn nearer.

His arm gave out and he fell back into the hole.

His vision was blurred with tears and he scratched uselessly at the metal around him.

He was sobbing now, shaking too bad to do anything productive.

"Help..."

He cried, curling in on himself.

 

***

 

(Tyler)

Tyler wandered the streets, lost in thought. He would often walk the roads, just observing people as they lived their daily lives, entranced by the Christmas cheer. A few kind souls had offered him money or food, assuming he was homeless. He had kindly declined, stating he was just on a walk and to save it for someone who needed it.

He was walking along an intersection when his eyes were caught on a car that began speeding. He checked the lights and noticed that said car was trying to speed through the red light before the other cars could go through the intersection. He stared in shock as one of the cars swerved away from the speedster and it slammed into the back of the car. This forced the one that swerved into the car beside it, crushing the passenger and driver's doors together. The car behind the second car slammed into the back, pushing the cars apart and spinning it to face the first car. After a minute of stunned silence, the people in the surrounding cars began pouring out, trying to help the wrecked four cars. Tyler jogged over himself, although just as he neared the closest, the sports car erupted into flames. The surrounding crowd yelped in surprise and the driver threw himself out, rolling away before staring at his ruined car in shock.

The driver of the second car was climbing over to the passenger seat to escape her car. The third car had four people inside, although they were all able to get out fairly easily. The first car was crushed between the other three, encasing both doors as the fire began to creep toward it.

People were helping the passengers of the other cars out and making sure they were safe as several people called an ambulance. A baby was maneuvered out of the second car, screaming and crying, although she was uninjured.

The fire began spreading closer to the first car, and there came a yell,

"Help!"

Tyler felt his blood run cold and his spine tingled.

_Evan?_

He suddenly recognized the small blue car that Evan's mom drove and he could see Evan struggling in the passenger seat.

"I need some help!"

Tyler called, alerting the people around him as he ran toward Evan. A siren was wailing in the distance, growing louder as it neared. Tyler and a few other men hurried toward the crushed car, with Tyler getting there first. He tried to find a way to get to Evan, seeing the only way was through the window.

Fortunately, the window had broken on impact, but Evan was trapped. The only way he would be able to get out was if he was lifted up and out of the window, and even then there was a high chance of pieces of glass getting caught on his skin.

The fire was also beginning to spread closer, warming Tyler up as the first snow began to fall.

Tyler took a deep breath as he positioned himself to pull Evan out, before reaching into the broken window and reaching for Evan's arms. He could hear his ~~crush~~ friend sobbing and his protective instinct kicked in. However, as he tried to grab Evan's arm, he couldn't reach. He tried to reach further, but glass dug into his shoulder painfully and he had to step back as blood dripped down.

"Somebody grab him!"

Tyler snapped, holding his shoulder to stop the bleeding. A woman came over and offered to help him but Tyler shooed her away, watching a few men as they pried the metal open more to reach Evan. Finally, one of them grabbed his arm and they managed to pull Evan out, who was still sobbing weakly.

Tyler snatched him from their hands and carried him bridal style away from the wreck and onto the sidewalk.

"T-Tyler?"

The trembling student asked after a moment, looking up at him. Tyler sighed in relief and nodded.

"You're okay Evan. I got you."

Evan's eyes were red and puffy, and he was still shaking vigorously.

"I-is my mom okay?"

Tyler felt his heart skip a beat as he looked back at the crash. The fire had fully engulfed Evan's car, but Tyler didn't see his mom anywhere.

"I'm... not sure."

Tyler said finally. Evan dropped his eyes and seemed to be lost in thought, so Tyler gave him a bit of a squeeze to comfort him. The victims in the other cars were now in an argument with the driver of the sports car, meanwhile, a few others were making sure everyone was okay.

Finally, a fire truck came, the firemen putting out the fire quickly. It had spread to the third car, and several police officers had everyone stand back in case the fire reached the gas tanks.

An ambulance arrived shortly after, the paramedics ensuring nobody was hurt. One of them came up to Tyler and asked about his shoulder, to which he said was fine, although the nurse still cleaned the shallow wound up and bandaged it. Evan had fallen asleep in Tyler's arms, which Tyler was grateful for as his mother's body was pulled from the wreck, charred and unrecognizable.

"Does anyone know who this is?"

One of the paramedics asked what remained of the crowd as the police directed traffic.

"I do,"

Tyler called, still dutifully carrying Evan.

"He was my friend's mom. Her name was Amy Fong."

The paramedics nodded a thank you, then took her away in a body bag. The paramedics told Tyler they'd keep in touch about her death, and Tyler gave his phone number.

Soon, Tyler found himself standing alone on the sidewalk as the cleanup began. Several hours had passed, and from what Tyler had heard from the other victims, the driver of the sports car was arrested for vehicular manslaughter after running the red light. Several of them were also pressing charges to get money for a new car, although Tyler just wanted this whole ordeal over.

He looked down at Evan, who had been sleeping soundly for several hours as Tyler hummed his song. He had just begun waking up as Tyler began walking home, having nowhere else to go.

"Where are we?"

Evan croaked, his beautiful eyes fluttering open.

"We're going to my place, we're just leaving the wreck."

Tyler answered calmly. Evan was quiet for a while, then chirped,

"Did they find my mom?"

Tyler swallowed, then said,

"Yes, they did."

Evan hummed contentedly, then asked,

"Where is she?"

"On the ambulance, she got hurt."

Evan frowned, then looked at the sky around them.

"It's snowing."

Tyler glanced around, seeing the delicate flakes drifting gently toward the earth, the ground already covered in a fine layer of the substance.

"Yes, it is."

Tyler said with a slight chuckle.

Evan was quiet for a bit longer before asking,

"How long have you been carrying me?"

Tyler was startled by the question, then felt embarrassment crawl up his back.

He hadn't thought once of putting Evan down the whole time he was there.

"Um...for a few hours."

He scoffed. Evan blinked then squawked,

"What? Put me down!"

Tyler followed his request, only realizing how tired his arms were when he left them to sit in his jacket pockets.

_Man, I'm going to be sore tomorrow._

He and Evan walked together for about 30 minutes before reaching Tyler's house.

"Here we are, make yourself at home."

Tyler said as he opened the door and let Evan in.

"You can sleep on my old bed, I've been using my dad's."

Evan looked around the house curiously, still in a bit of shock from the accident.

"It's over here."

Tyler said gently after he shut the door, leading Evan to his old room.

As they went inside Tyler decided to let Evan get settled.

"If you want, we can drive to your place later and get your things."

Tyler offered as Evan looked around the room. Most of Tyler's things had been moved out, but there were still a few old toys and posters that were sprinkled about.

Evan didn't seem to hear his question as he walked around the room, gently touching one of the Star Wars posters before moving on to an action figure of Chewbacca.

Tyler chuckled softly, then turned to leave the room only to be surprise hugged.

"Thank you, Tyler."

Evan cooed as Tyler tried to turn around and see him. Evan's lips were pulled back in a wide smile, his dark eyes almost glowing in gratitude.

"Of course Evan."

Tyler said as he managed to shift Evan so he could hug him back.

The two hugged for several minutes, absorbing each other's presence as the winds of life died down for a few moments.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello guys! Here is the latest chapter! Hope you enjoyed it ;3  
> Anyway, so my new posting schedule is no longer every day, but Sundays, Wednesdays, and the occasional Saturday.   
> Sorry for the change, but I am loaded on homework and have had a bit of writer's block (Although I'm working on it).   
> See you later! <3


	15. Chapter 15 (Tyler)

"Come on Evan, time to wake up."

The soft comment and gentle rubbing of his arm finally seemed to wake Evan, who blinked groggily awake.

"Wha'?"

He mumbled, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. Tyler felt a tingle slide down his spine at Evan's thick voice, but tried to ignore it as he focused on waking the smaller teen.

"Breakfast is ready, and you need to get ready for school."

Evan stretched, then nodded numbly, pulling the sheets off the bed before stumbling toward the closet. Tyler chuckled as he slipped out of the room, quickly serving Evan a plate of bacon and eggs as well as a cup of milk. As Tyler served his own plate of the still-warm breakfast, Evan sauntered out of his room with another yawn and toward the table. He paused, sniffing the air before looking at Tyler with a sheepish grin.

"You didn't have to make me breakfast..."

Tyler scoffed, taking his plate and sitting across from Evan as the other sat down.

"Are you kidding? I wanted to, it's been a while since I had a decent breakfast."

They both laughed, then began digging into their food.

It was Tuesday. The car accident had occurred early Saturday morning, with much more legal documents and phone calls than Tyler would ever admit to Evan.

He had decided to take care of it for his ~~boy~~ friend anyway.

Evan had been almost immediately set up to meet his dad in a Walmart parking lot on the next Saturday, where he would then be taken back to his hometown and away from Tyler and the guys for probably...forever.

Tyler blinked tears away as he quickly forced himself to think about something else.

Anyway, they had already gathered Evan's things into boxes and bags, preparing it so that it would be easier for the whole exchange to occur.

Tyler coughed as he almost choked on a piece of egg, startling Evan who giggled soon after.

"You alright?"

He said after he swallowed the food in his mouth. Tyler swallowed, then nodded, giggling himself.

"I guess I tried to literally _inhale_ my food."

He joked, earning a light punch on his shoulder from Evan.

"Oh geez."

Evan giggled as he rolled his eyes.

They laughed for another few moments, but the quiet beat of the radio soon filled the kitchen again.

"So, you excited to go back to school?"

Tyler asked lightly, lifting his eyebrow slightly as he looked at Evan. Evan's small smile faded, and instead of eating, he began picking at his food.

"Something wrong?"

Tyler pressed, worry pulling his jovial features away. Evan sighed and leaned against his hand.

"Ty, can... can you tell the guys that I have to move away?"

Evan looked up, pleading in the depths of his coffee-colored eyes. Tyler gave him a sad smile but nodded nonetheless.

"Of course. I won't force you to do something you don't want to."

Evan's shoulders fell in relief and he smiled widely at Tyler.

"Then don't make me go to school."

He said with a wink, no real meaning behind the comment.

They laughed, and after breakfast, Tyler drove them to school.

The day seemed to drag as Tyler anxiously waited for when he could be with Evan again.

When he was skipping to history, however, he quickly learned they were doing a group project and was separated from him, putting Tyler into a bad mood as he was paired with Brian.

Then finally, lunch came, and Tyler waited by the door for Evan. When the smaller student saw him he smiled, but it didn't last long as he then reminded carefully,

"Remember, you have to tell the guys I'm moving away."

Tyler's smile weakened, but he pulled Evan closer by the shoulder.

"I know. You going to sit with us?"

Evan had been practically glued to the group since the incident with Rhett and Link, but Tyler wanted to give Evan the option of not dealing with the guy's questions.

However, Evan shook his head nonetheless.

"No, it's fine. I'm not risking _it_ again."

There was a visible shudder that went through Evan's body, and Tyler gave him a slight squeeze.

"Okay. Do what makes you comfortable."

Evan nodded slightly as Tyler led him to the table, both of them sitting down as they pulled out similar lunches that Tyler had prepared.

"What's with the twin lunches?"

Brian asked with a scoff as he sat down.

"And where were you yesterday?"

Craig pressed, sitting down as well,

"You told me you'd say at lunch."

The slightly smaller student reminded Evan, who nodded with a sheepish smile.

"And I will...I just asked Tyler to tell you guys."

Evan said quietly, his eyes scanning everyone as Brock and Ryan sat down, the last to join them. They paused on Tyler last, then he gave the taller student a small nod. Tyler reciprocated, then took a deep breath.

"Alright, so Evan asked me to be the one to tell you that he wasn't here yesterday because on Saturday his mom passed away in a car crash. Evan was with his mom but he got out without much damage."

Tyler paused a moment, letting this news sink in before telling them the rest of the story. He glanced over at Evan, who was staring at his food while Craig, who sat beside him, was consoling him. Tyler put a hand on Evan's knee and rubbed it, trying to comfort him without dragging the attention of the table onto him more than it already was.

"He's also staying at my place, but only until he moves away on Saturday."

The table fell silent from the quiet bubbling of comments directed to Evan for everyone to turn to Tyler in shock.

_"What?"_

Scotty was the first one to ask, his hands moving so quick it was hard for Tyler to read.

"He's moving back to his dad's in the lower part of Colorado."

Tyler clarified, rubbing his thumb in small circles over Evan's knee.

Evan leaned on him, his shoulders shaking slightly as he held in obvious sobs.

"Saturday?"

Brian asked suddenly, his face pale as he suddenly looked at his hand.

"That's...1, 2, 3, 4 days away!"

He yelped, counting on his fingers.

"Which leaves us to have a good party Friday night, which means 2 days of planning to get this perfect."

Brian looked up at Evan, smiling brightly, although there was a visible hint of sadness to it.

"We'll have the best moving away party ever for you Evan."

Evan giggled slightly, a few tears running down his cheeks.

"Thanks, Brian."

He choked out, quickly rubbing his eyes. Craig brought Evan in for a hug, spiking Tyler's jealousy, although he'd never admit it.

The conversation was then turned to either plan for the party or funny things that had occurred over the weekend or on Monday, keeping the topics happy and light.


	16. Chapter 16 (Tyler)

The school day and Tuesday flew by way too fast for Tyler's liking, even if he did get to spend practically every moment outside of school with his crush. He cooked for the both of them, and they spent the meals in happy chatter. Tyler would then sing Evan to sleep with his song, all while the smaller teen clung to one of Tyler's stuffed owls.

-

_"Are you sure you want that one? I have softer animals and pillows."_

_Tyler had offered, holding up a giant stuffed pig that was way too soft to exist. He hated that Evan had found the stash of forgotten animals in the back of his old closet, but the small, ragged clumps of felt brought a smile to Evan's face, so Tyler was more or less fine with it._

_"No, I like this one."_

_Evan said, holding up a patchy orange and brown owl with gold eyes. The "feathers" of the small bird were scruffy and pointed in all the wrong directions, and it was so old that Tyler totally forgot he had the owl in the first place._

_Tyler lowered the pig, taking a mental note to sneak it into his room because of how dang soft it was._

_"Okay, well if you change your mind, let me know."_

_Evan smiled brightly, giving the owl a small squeeze._

_"Okay, I will."_

-

Tyler chuckled at the memory, earning him a glance from Scotty who was sitting next to him.

_"Just laughing at a memory."_

Tyler signed with a smile. Scotty watched his hands, then smiled with a nod of understanding.

Tyler glanced around the room, the party that had been held for Evan's moving beginning to come to a close.

They had settled on a movie night, watching _National Treasure_ , and, of course, Harry Potter and the Prisoner Of Azkaban, both of which had come out earlier that year. Evan and Craig loved Harry Potter, but everyone seemed to at least enjoy both movies. They also played Clue, Sorry, and Uno, and ate pizza and ice cream until they were sick. They were all passed out from exhaustion around 2:30 am, with Brian's parents scolding them in the morning about how they should've gone to sleep sooner because it was a school night.

Thursday came and went, with the guys laughing at new inside jokes and discussing favorite parts of movies. Tyler tried his best to not cling to Evan, allowing the other guys chances to interact with him and create final memories with their friend. But even as they were walking to the busses together, Tyler was a little reluctant to follow Marcel away from the group when he tugged on his sleeve.

"What?"

Tyler bluntly asked, glancing back at Evan and the guys. He looked back at Marcel when he felt a pinch on his arm.

"Ow! What the heck?"

Marcel glared at him as he signed,

_"What is going on between you two?"_

Tyler paused, his face warming as he blinked away the surprise.

"What do you mean?"

Tyler asked nonchalantly. Marcel narrowed his eyes and signed,

_"Between you and Evan. Speak."_

Tyler sighed, knowing he'd lose this fight anyway.

"Alright, fine. You know how he's been staying at my place, right?"

Marcel nodded, and Tyler looked everywhere but at his friends as he reddened.

"I think...Imayhaveacrushonhim."

Tyler spoke quickly, closing his eyes before looking at Marcel again. The latter seemed confused.

_"What?"_

He signed. He must not have understood him speaking so fast. Tyler groaned before almost yelling,

"I have a crush on Evan!"

Tyler immediately covered his mouth, looking at the guys to make sure none of them heard, which luckily they hadn't. However, a few surrounding students looked at them sideways. Marcel stared in shock before a large grin printed itself on his face.

_"Seriously?"_

Tyler felt like his face couldn't get any hotter when he nodded, and Marcel grabbed him by the shoulders before shaking him.

_"That is amazing!"_

Marcel signed as soon as he released Tyler from his excited grip, leaving Tyler to watch him in a sort of trance.

"You're not weirded out?"

Tyler asked, watching the busses as the grew nearer. Marcel scoffed, waving his hand like it was a dumb question.

"But you're straight right?"

Tyler pressed, scanning the busses for Marcel's bus number. Marcel frowned.

_"Yeah, why can't straight people support their gay friends?"_

Tyler mentally slapped himself and ran a hand over his face.

"They...they can. Sorry."

Tyler mumbled. He felt Marcel pat him on the back as he headed toward his bus.

_"Better tell him soon, you're running out of time."_

Tyler nodded solemnly as he waved Marcel off, jumping slightly when Evan appeared beside him.

"Hey, Tyler! The others already left."

He chirped, smiling giddily. Tyler smiled with a nod, then began walking toward his car, glancing back to make sure Evan was following him.

_Better tell him soon, you're running out of time._

Marcel's words echoed in Tyler's mind, and he knew they were true, he had told himself the same almost every night.

But it could wait until tonight.

Or Friday morning.

_Or tonight._

Tyler thought as he stared at Evan as they walked to his car again.

Friday ended before Tyler could bat an eye, with Marcel visibly annoyed he hadn't talked to Evan yet.

_"You have to tell him tonight."_

Marcel scolded, pulling Tyler away from the group again.

"I know! I will."

Tyler sighed, shoving his hands in his pockets.

_"You better."_

Marcel signed as he got on his bus. Tyler gave him a loose salute in farewell, then met with Evan as he and Craig shared a last hug. As Tyler neared, Craig hurried onto his bus, and Evan was frantically wiping tears away.

"You okay?"

Tyler cooed as he brought Evan in for a hug. He felt Evan nod against him, and after a few moments, he pulled him away, draping an arm over his shoulder and leading him toward the car.

"I'm going to miss you guys."

Evan sniffled, his voice weak and croaky. Tyler felt his heart crack and rubbed Evan's arm.

"We'll miss you too. But, you have our numbers, maybe we can visit each other every once in a while."

Tyler proposed, trying to not think about his Evan leaving. Evan chuckled, nodding.

"Yeah, maybe. My dad might let me."

Tyler opened the passenger door for Evan before closing it when he got in.

As they drove home, Tyler collected the thoughts he had been brainstorming for Evan's last night.

They'd play Clue, with an extra hand for a third person to make it a little more interesting. If the other person couldn't prove them wrong with an accusation, they'd pull the third hand for a random card.

After Clue, they watched _Harry Potter and the Prisoner Of Azkaban_ again, with Evan still bubbling excitedly at his favorite parts.

As the moon raised high into the night, and the stars glittered above, the movie and games ended, with Evan almost entranced by the credits of Harry Potter as they rolled past the screen.

Now, Tyler new his time of procrastinating was over.

Evan was snuggled into Tyler's side, with Tyler's right arm behind him and holding him close. The smaller was relaxed, his dark eyes almost glowing from the happiness of the night. Evan was snacking on the popcorn they had made, still staring at the credits when Tyler reluctantly stood. Evan hummed unhappily, which turned into an annoyed groan when Tyler turned the lights on.

When Tyler turned the tv off though, Evan only stared at him with a frown.

They locked eyes.

"I don't want to go to sleep."

Evan mumbled, his eyes dropping to the popcorn in his hands.

Tyler felt his shoulders sag and made his way back to the couch, flopping down beside Evan, but not as close as before.

"I know."

Tyler sympathized, ruffling Evan's hair as the latter pouted.

Tyler began trying to gather his words, trying to ensure he wouldn't screw this up as him messing with Evan, turned into a massage.

_"Hey Evan, I know you're leaving tomorrow, but I just wanted to say I love you."_

_Well, at least it's direct..._

Evan seemed to get lost in his own thoughts, staring at the dark tv as his body relaxed further into Tyler's hands. The taller teen had learned a thing or two giving his father massages to lessen his pain, and Evan seemed to melt into the way his fingers moved around his back and shoulders.

After approximately 10 minutes of neither person speaking, Evan's voice yanked Tyler away from the struggling conversation in his head.

"Ty, do I have to go?"

The broken chirp caught Tyler's attention immediately, stopping the massage to see Evan in tears.

They both knew the answer to the question, so Tyler only brought Evan into a hug.

"Yeah."

Tyler choked out, holding back his own sobs.

He felt Evan convulsing against him, tears drenching his shoulder. Tyler rubbed Evan's back trying to soothe the smaller.

_I have to tell him now._

Tyler realized, his heart rate spiking with anxiety. He took a few deep breathes, his heart calming before spiking again when he reminded himself what he had to do. He caught a whiff of vanilla and lavender, pausing when he tried to find where it came from. It only took him a few more breathes to realize the scent intensified when he pressed his nose to the crook of Evan's neck.

The scent calmed him, and he could feel Evan pulling him closer and nuzzling into his neck too. The two embraced for a few more moments before Tyler broke the contact first, Evan looking up with disappointment glinting in the depths of his eyes.

"Evan, I need to tell you something."

Tyler breathed, his heart pounding.

_It's now or never._

"What, Ty?"

Evan purred, curiosity playing with his tone. Tyler felt a shiver go down his back at the nickname and took a deep breath to soothe himself, catching most of Evan's scent.

"Ev, ever since you moved here something about you has always-"

Tyler was cut off when the sound of a phone ringing echoed through the room. He quickly found the source; his pocket.

Tyler pulled his phone out and glanced at the number, not recognizing it. He hit the decline button and put the phone away.

Evan was more important.

"Something about you has always-"

Tyler almost growled when he heard the phone ring again. He yanked the contraption out of his pocket to discover it was the same number. He looked at Evan and could tell the moment was over by the annoyed look the smaller had, staring at the ringing box.

"What?"

Tyler snapped, hitting answer.

"Is this Mr. Wine?"

The deep voice on the other line surprised Tyler, and he blinked before responding,

"Yes, sir."

There was a slight rummage before,

"You are the current caretaker for Mr. Fong, correct?"

Tyler's gaze locked on Evan when he answered again,

"Yes, sir."

Evan tilted his head and scrunched his eyebrows in question, confusion, and probably concern as there was an affirmative grunt on the other line.

_"What is it?"_

Evan mouthed. Tyler held up a finger to "hang on a moment" as the other voice continued.

"My name is Officer Birks. I am a police officer of the Alamosa area and I regret to inform you of the recent passing of Mr. Fong's father, Daniel Lau. He was found dead in his house this morning, supposedly stabbed by his girlfriend who was against bringing Mr. Fong back. I am sorry."

Both lines went silent for a few moments as Tyler soaked in what he had just heard.

"Th-thank you, officer."

Tyler eventually said, swallowing and looking away from Evan.

"You are welcome. Customs will contact you when the situation of Mr. Fong's living situations have been determined. Good day, sir."

"You too."

Tyler said, clicking end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *evil giggle* Oops! ^w^


	17. Chapter 17 (Evan)

"What happened?"

Evan pressed as soon as Tyler hung up.

Tyler ran a hand through his hair, refusing to look at him.

"Tyler, why were you talking to an _officer_?"

Evan whimpered, grabbing Tyler's chin to force the taller to look at him.

He heard Tyler gasp slightly and they locked eyes for only a moment before Tyler broke it with a cough.

 

Evan could still smell him in the air.

Honey and caramel.

Tyler's scent seemed to weave around him, tugging Evan to pull Tyler back into a hug so he could feel his hands hold him.

Protect him.

 

Evan wasn't sure what this feeling was, that made him want more of Tyler. He wanted Tyler to hold him and tell him everything would be okay, that he wouldn't have to go live with his dad.

That they could be together forever.

His heart thudded whenever he felt Tyler's arm hold him, but he always felt so much safer in the taller's embrace.

It was like Tyler could protect him from the evils of the world.

 

So when Tyler had begun speaking, calling him "Ev" had sent a tingle down his spine. It sounded right for the taller to call him that, and "Ty" fell so freely from his tongue Evan almost preferred the nickname to "Tyler".

Then that stupid phone.

The stupid phone call that got ~~his~~ Tyler all flustered and stopped him from saying what he needed to.

 

"What _is_ it Tyler?"

Evan questioned again after another few minutes of Ty _still_ not speaking.

Finally, Tyler sighed, his soft blue gaze resting on Evan. He swallowed.

"Evan, um...that was an officer from Alamosa."

_Alamosa._

The name made Evan's heart flutter.

That wretched place had brought him to his knees, and now that the guys had finally raised him up he was being dragged back there.

"O-okay..."

Evan choked out, hoping Tyler would continue.

"He...he said your dad died."

The warm room suddenly felt ice cold.

Silence engulfed Evan, but he wasn't sure if it was because everything went quiet or because his ears had refused to register any sound.

Sure, he hadn't wanted to live with his dad, but he'd never wanted this to happen.

He was his _dad_!

The same man he had memories of playing with and learning how to ride a bike!

The same man that had helped his mother cope with sending their son to a mental hospital.

Now he was dead?

 

"Evan! Evan, can you hear me?"

Evan blinked and let out a spluttering sob. His senses returned in an overwhelming wave, his breathing ragged and his head light. His blood felt like it was rushing through his body at hundreds of miles per hour, and his vision was falling fuzzy.

"Evan! Evan, please!"

Evan could hear Tyler's desperate cry and located the blurry swarm of colors that smelled like Tyler.

"Ty-"

Evan choked, collapsing into Tyler's lap. Tyler shushed him, rubbing his back in soothing circles as Evan wallowed. Tears pooled on Tyler's pant leg, and Evan could feel a slight sense of guilt building in his stomach.

But it was overwhelmed with the pain in his heart.

First his mom, and now his dad.

He wasn't sure when he fell asleep, but he knew it was amidst the tears and sniffling.

 

.

..

...

 

Evan blinked awake as the sun warmed his hair and back. He looked around to see he was lying across Tyler's couch, a blanket draped gently over him. He scanned the room, disappointed to not see Tyler anywhere.

He did, however, smell pancakes.

 

Evan slowly rolled out of his makeshift bed, stumbling across the room into the kitchen.

He found two plates stacked full of pancakes, still warm with butter melting on top. A bottle of syrup was also on the table, with two glasses of milk.

The sight of food made his stomach growl, but he wanted to find their creator before he began eating his fill.

"Tyler?"

Evan called, his voice hoarse. The rough sound surprised Evan, but he figured it was caused by his crying the night before. A door opened behind him and he turned to see Tyler stepping out of his ~~dad's old~~ room.

"Evan! How are you feeling?"

Tyler cooed, cupping Evan's face in his hands. Evan felt himself melt into his touch and had to focus on Tyler's question to answer it.

"Better."

He mumbled. Tyler pressed his lips against Evan's forehead, causing the smaller to gasp at the electricity from the touch.

Tyler pulled away, his cheeks dusted a dark red as blue eyes locked on brown.

"S-sorry..."

Tyler stuttered, not breaking the eye contact. They stared at each other in silence until Tyler finally asked,

"D-Do you want to eat breakfast?"

Evan felt Tyler grab his hand and lead him toward the table before they both sat and began eating their pancakes.

They sat in the quiet of the morning for a few minutes, until Tyler said,

"So...what do you want to do today? It's Saturday, and you're going to be here for a while..."

Tyler trailed off, staring at his food before glancing up at Evan. Evan smiled meekly, then said,

"Maybe we could go to the aquarium? I haven't been since I was really little."

Tyler nodded eagerly, then said,

"Do you want anyone else to come or just us?"

Evan felt his face flush as he answered immediately,

"Just us."

Tyler giggled, then nodded, taking another bite of his breakfast.

"Okay,"

He said after he swallowed.

"We'll head there after breakfast. Deal?"

Evan beamed, nodding as he chewed more of the warm pancakes.

 

After they both finished their plates, Tyler drove them to the aquarium across town. The drive was about 45 minutes long, and Evan dozed off for most of it.

When they finally pulled into the parking lot, Evan was woken up by a gentle,

"Come on, we're here Evan."

Evan groaned, then his eyes fluttered open and he glanced around.

"Mmm?"

He hummed, looking at Tyler.

"Let's go, we're at the aquarium."

Tyler said with a soft smile. Evan nodded groggily and stretched before they both clicked off their seatbelts and stepped out.

Evan stretched again, yawning before following Tyler to the front door.

"2 passes, please."

Tyler chirped to the lady at the front, quickly paying for their visit before Evan tugged him through.

"Come on!"

 

Evan bubbled, almost skipping with his excited steps. Tyler chuckled, Evan coming to a stop in front of one of the exhibits.

It was a simple aquarium, but the smaller had fun searching every nook and cranny for the fish on the signs.

There were parrotfish, cardinalfish, gammas, and puffers, as well as several hundred other colorful fish.

When they reached the Touch Pool, Evan was practically bouncing he was so giddy. He pulled his hoodie sleeve up and reached into the cool water, gently brushing the bumpy surface of a few starfish and small, shiny fish. Evan was about to wash his hands when Tyler tugged on his sleeve.

"Hold on, there's a bigger one up here."

Tyler quipped, with Evan raising his eyebrows.

"Really? Then let's go!"

Tyler chuckled and tugged Evan through the crowds, over to a bigger room.

"Here we are!"

Tyler giggled, gesturing to the large open pool that now lay open in front of the two.

"What's in there?"

Evan asked, squinting to try and identify the swarms of creatures inside.

"Stingrays! They come up against the glass and you pet them like this."

Tyler instructed as a smaller stingray swam up to the glass and Tyler gently stroked its back before it swam away.

"My turn! My turn!"

Evan squeaked, trying to spot the next animal that would come toward the glass.

After they pet a few more stingrays Evan pulled away, a grin on his face.

" _Now_ we wash our hands?"

He asked, glancing at Tyler. Tyler chuckled, nodding before answering,

"Yes, it's over here."

 

Tyler lead Evan toward the hand washing station, where they cleaned up a bit before Tyler again lead the way up the stairs toward the bigger tanks.

At least, that's what Tyler had told Evan.

However, the first room they walked into, while spacious, was full of miniature aquariums.

Evan looked around the room for a moment, before walking toward the first tank to his left. Inside was a small turtle, sleeping soundly on a small dirt bank shrouded in thin foliage. There was a small pond of water beside him, with algae clinging to the sides.

"Aw, look at him Tyler!"

Evan chirped, pointing at the reptile. He felt Tyler lay a protective hand on his shoulder, then a pleasant sounding,

"He is pretty adorable."

_Like you._

Evan caught himself before the words bounced off his tongue, blushing at the mere thought of saying them aloud.

He glanced at Tyler, who flicked his bright blue eyes away from the turtle to look at Evan, a wide smile pulling onto the soft features of his face.

Evan giggled before pulling his eyes away and skipping to the next tank, this one with a small group of tiny eels.

Evan made sure to find every creature he could, only giving up when Tyler insisted there was nothing inside and the animal must've been moved somewhere else. There were seahorses, minnows, and shrimp, among several more species of tiny aquatic life. His favorite was watching the seahorses cling to the seaweed and counting the number of clownfish that popped in and out of their anemone.

Tyler eventually lead him through an acrylic tunnel, with a massive tank on all sides.

"Woah!"

Evan gasped, staring in awe as large fish and eels swam around them.

Evan will proudly say he spent at least 20 minutes in that tunnel alone, forcing other visitors to walk around Evan and Tyler as he made sure to identify every organism.

When they exited the tunnel they came to a wall-high tank, the first thing Evan seeing drifting through the water toward the glass being a...

"Sea turtle!"

 

Evan chirped as he hurried toward the class, narrowly avoiding colliding with a five-year-old. Tyler chuckled as he stood behind Evan, watching a few fish and some sharks swim past the window. When Evan was satisfied with making sure he saw every animal in that tank, they made their way toward a dark room, with several tanks full of glowing orbs.

"Wow..."

Evan breathed, following the small jellyfish as they danced in their enclosures.

...

Evan wasn't sure how long he stood there, mesmerized. The room was quiet, only dappled with a few voices as families made their way through.

Ev forgot about all that had happened in the past month.

He was content again.

His thoughts followed the small creatures; floating away, Evan relaxing entirely into the hug wrapped around his shoulders.

After several more minutes of gazing at the small jellyfish and smelling honey and caramel wrap around him, Evan was tugged from his blank mind by a quiet voice.

"This is the last area, you want to go or stay for a bit longer?"

Evan smiled, still facing the glass, but leaned his head back, resting it on Tyler's chest.

"Stay...for just a little longer."

Evan purred, his dark eyes following the jellyfish.

He heard the rumble of Tyler chuckling and felt the gentle pressure of Tyler resting his chin on Evan's head.

"They're really pretty."

Tyler mumbled, earning a scoff from Evan.

"Yeah."

Evan cooed.

 

They stayed for about another 15 minutes before a little kid, about 7, shoved Evan away, before pouting.

"These are lame. I wanna see more sharks!"

He was looking at what seemed to be his parents, who were wrestling with an infant and a toddler, about 3.

"Well dear, the sharks are back that way."

The mother coaxed, trying to hold a wiggling and screaming baby.

 

Evan could remember his own mother, leading him patiently through the exhibits as he bounced from place to place and his father slaved away at work.

Evan glanced at Tyler who had released the smaller and stood to his left. His heart sank as Tyler stared at the child annoyance, wondering how many times a similar glare had been pinned to his back whenever he rushed off to another exhibit.

Was he forcing Tyler to deal with his shenanigans?

 

The family quickly went back to the shark tank, leaving Evan frowning as he stared after them.

"That kid needs to slow down and smell the flowers."

Tyler joked, a hint of truth in his voice. Evan nodded, glancing back at the jellyfish.

His eyes followed one as it drifted to the bottom, vanishing from sight.

"Let's go."

He said flatly, walking away from Tyler and the dark tank.

 

Evan stared at his feet as he walked, quickly weaving out of the gift shop and pushing open the exit doors. He heard the door drift close before being shoved open again, the rough thud of worn shoes hurrying toward him.

"Hey, you okay?"

Tyler pressed, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Evan felt his heart stutter at the soft touch, but shrugged him off and walked slightly faster.

They walked in silence on the treck to the car.

When they reached the worn vehicle, Tyler unlocked it and Evan quickly slipped into the passenger seat. Tyler stepped inside more slowly, shutting his door and starting the car, but not shifting to reverse.

"Evan, please talk to me."

Tyler coaxed. Evan was staring out the window, but he could almost hear the frown in his voice.

His shoulders shook, and he had to turn his gaze to his lap as a few tears landed on his jeans.

 

"S-sorry."

Evan whispered, trying to maintain his normal breathing as he held back tears.

"Sorry? For what?"

Tyler asked, placing his hand on top of Evan's. Evan stared at their hands, then pulled his hand away and curled into himself, turning completely away from Tyler and toward the window.

"Sorry for making you care for me."

He could feel hot tears streaming down his cheeks, but didn't care enough to wipe them away.

"Evan, Evan please look at me."

When the smaller teen didn't comply with Tyler's gentle commands, the driver's door opened and Tyler appeared by his window, opening his door to reach Evan.

"Ev, never be sorry for life putting you in a horrible situation. I'm glad you live with me, even if it's only until you get a new place."

Tyler knelt down beside Evan, their faces close together as the taller soothed him.

Coffee eyes locked with crystal blue ones, and Evan felt his chest warm.

_Kiss him._

Evan was surprised by the thought. He had never even felt attracted toward anyone and now, of all people, he wanted to kiss Tyler?

Tyler broke the connection by pulling Evan into a tight hug, brushing Evan's tears away.

"I care for and about you because I want to Evan, don't ever think otherwise."

Evan felt surprise tingle through his blood at the comment, then squeezed Tyler tighter.

"I'll try."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love these small babs way too much UvU


	18. Chapter 18 (Tyler)

It was Christmas Eve sooner than Tyler could believe.

Evan's mom had died a week prior to Christmas, on the 18th. And now, they were returning to Tyler's house from the aquarium, on the 24th.

In fact, the only reason Tyler had remembered, was because the quiet radio that played while Evan napped kept playing the same five Christmas songs.

_I didn't even decorate!_

Tyler scolded himself, pressing a little harder on the gas pedal. The sooner he got home, the sooner he and Evan could decorate.

The taller teen cast a glance down at the softly sleeping noirette. Evan's soft golden skin shone in the sun, and his raven hair glimmered as the car rumbled over asphalt. Tyler had tugged an old blanket from the back and Evan had curled into it, quickly falling asleep. Tyler bit his cheek as he turned his attention back to the road.

He knew he had a couple Christmas decorations, like a wreath and a small pre-lit tree. He also knew there were some red and gold ornaments in a box _somewhere_...

As Tyler pulled into the apartment driveway, Evan jerked his head off the window with a gasp, quickly looking around before relaxing into his seat.

"You okay?"

Tyler prodded, shifting the car into park. Evan blinked, rubbing his eyes before nodding.

"Yeah, just a nightmare."

Tyler nodded, taking a mental note to ensure these nightmares weren't constant before getting out of the car.

"So, now what?"

Evan chirped as Tyler opened the door to the apartment. Tyler chuckled and said,

"Well, do you know what day it is?"

Evan thought for a moment, then said,

"Saturday?"

From the confused look on the smaller's face, Tyler knew Evan had forgotten too. Not that Tyler blamed him, the past week had been chaotic and painful for both of them.

"Yes, but what day of December is it?"

Tyler prodded, lifting a playful eyebrow at the smaller. Evan scrunched his eyebrows in thought, then his eyes widened and he let out a gasp.

"It's Christmas Eve!"

Evan squealed, hopping around excitedly before freezing and his shoulders sagging.

"But...I didn't get you anything."

Evan said quietly, looking down at his hands. Tyler chuckled and lifted Evan's chin to look at him.

"You being here is my gift. Now help me decorate!"

Tyler chirped, hurrying into his room and to the storage closet. He caught a glance of the bills for the apartment on the bed and threw them underneath before Evan entered.

"Come on, help me get the tree!"

Tyler said giddily, wrestling behind boxes to reach the Christmas stuff.

"But what's the point? We'll have to take it down in two days."

Evan sighed, reaching into the closet to help anyway. Tyler paused in his works, then frowned. Finally, he reached for a small box and pulled it out, revealing a wreath and a few strings of lights.

"Then we'll only decorate a little bit. Come on."

Tyler said, grabbing Evan's hand and leading him back to the living room. Evan nodded in agreement, then they began hanging the lights around the room, over the front door and draped on the kitchen counter, branching to the back of the couch before being set atop the hallway lights.

"There."

Tyler said as they gazed proudly at their work. As they worked, a snowstorm had blown in, blotching out the sun and painting the sky grey. They hung the wreath on the door, and as Evan switched the tv on, Tyler made hot cocoa.

"Looks like the snow finally came."

Evan commented, staring out the window as sheets of white coated the ground outside. Tyler chuckled as he brought over Evan's cup, his own warming his hands.

"Yeah, usually there's snow for months by now."

Tyler agreed, handing Evan his drink. The two stared at the storm for a long while as quiet commercials played in the tv, sipping at their cocoa when their throats cooled. Soon, they heard the beginning music of what sounded like a movie, and Evan turned to look.

" _A Christmas Story_!"

Evan bubbled, causing Tyler to turn toward the small box himself.

"This is my _favorite_ Christmas movie."

Evan giggled as he settled into the couch, tugging a nearby blanket onto him. Tyler scoffed and pulled the blanket back off, sliding next to Evan before draping the blanket over them both. Evan huddled into his side within the first 10 minutes, and the two laughed at the antics of the student as he tried to convince everyone that for Christmas he wanted a BB gun.

Tyler found himself dozing off as he was wrapped in warmth, inside and out. Evan's scent of vanilla and lavender danced around him, pulling Tyler to sleep as the room darkened with the setting sun and piling snow.

Tyler was gently awoken by his internal clock, blinking around at the soft glow of the Christmas lights around the room. The tv had turned itself off, set to do so after nobody touched the remote for a while. Evan was curled into Tyler's side, a content smile on his face as he occasionally nuzzled Tyler's chest. Tyler could feel his heart melting further for the smaller teen, the peace and tranquillity that flowed through Evan's features making him impossibly more beautiful.

"I love you Evan."

Tyler breathed, placing a peck on Evan's head as he began to fall back asleep.

 

.

..

...

 

Tyler blinked awake as the tv reflected the light of the sun into the room. He quickly glanced to his side to see Evan still snoring peacefully, tucked protectively in a blanket and Tyler's arms. Tyler relaxed and smiled, glancing at the over in the kitchen and seeing the clock on the wall point to 9:05 am. Tyler frowned, biting his cheek before sighing.

_I need to make breakfast._

He pouted to himself, not wanting to leave the warmth of Evan. Finally, after reveling the moment a bit longer, Tyler slowly moved from Evan's grasp. Evan groaned unhappily, but quickly returned to his dreamland. Tyler sighed with a small smile, then hurried to the kitchen.

"What should I make for breakfast today?"

Tyler mused quietly, checking the fridge.

"Christmas breakfast...Christmas breakfast..."

Tyler droned, sighing when nothing caught his eye.

"Well, if nothing sounds good here, I'll just have to buy something."

Tyler chirped, grinning to himself. His mind flashed to the bills in his room, closing his eyes before opening them again with a swallow.

"It...it's fine. I have a bit of savings I can dig into."

Tyler bit his lower lip before nodding to himself.

"Donuts. Donuts sound good. I'll go get a couple donuts, then we can have cocoa. Watch a couple Christmas movies, I'll give him his gift..."

Tyler scoffed to himself as he thought of the gift he had gotten Evan. He had gotten it a few days before Evan's mom's death, but he still wanted to see Evan's reaction.

"...and then,"

Tyler closed the fridge, glancing at the almost empty box of Christmas decorations, seeing the last small object.

"Maybe a kiss under the mistletoe."

Tyler hummed happily to himself, grabbing his car keys and sending one last glance at the sleeping Evan before opening the apartment door.

He was a few steps down the stairs when he felt the cold wash down his body and shivered.

"I th-think I'll need a jacket first."

He chuckled, hurrying back to the apartment in a scurry.

After grabbing a jacket and wading through the several feet of snow, Tyler managed to make it to his car and drive on the thankfully clear roads, driving through the sparse streets toward the nearest open donut shop.

Finally, he managed to find a small place and ordered a maple bar for himself, and a chocolate donut for Evan before making his way back home.

Tyler slipped back inside the apartment, seeing Evan still asleep. Tyler chuckled to himself, setting the bag of donuts on the kitchen counter and pulling some milk out of the fridge. He poured them two glasses, then pulled the donuts out of the bag and placed them on plates. After he placed them on the table, he meandered his way toward Evan, who had spread himself out to lay sprawled on the couch with his mouth open and drooling. Tyler giggled, then rubbed Evan's arm to wake him up.

"Evan, time to wake up,"

Tyler cooed, feeling the familiar warmth build in his stomach as Evan groaned in his sleep. Evan's eyes fluttered open, scanning Tyler over before smiling.

"Hey Ty."

He purred, beginning to stretch. Tyler smiled warmly, ruffling Evan's bedhead.

"Morning Sleeping Beauty, I got us some donuts for breakfast."

Evan's cheeks were dusted pink at the nickname, but his eyes shone after hearing about the food.

"What kind?"

He bubbled, tossing the blanket off of him. Tyler caught the blanket and balled it up, throwing it back at Evan's face who giggled before batting it away.

"I got your favorite."

Tyler chirped with a smirk. Evan gasped, hurrying toward the table with a squeak,

"Chocolate!"

He turned back to Tyler, smiling at him through narrowed eyes.

"How'd you know?"

Tyler chuckled, plopping into his seat as Evan sat beside him.

"I remember how you stole all the chocolate donuts at Brian's party."

Tyler teased, earning an embarrassed flush to Evan's ears.

"Hey! They were good."

Evan whined before digging into his donut. Tyler laughed again before beginning his meal as well.

"So, what're we doing today?"

Evan chirped, grinning ear to ear.

The sight warmed Tyler, it seemed he had forgotten yesterday afternoon.

"Well, it is Christmas, should we do something Christmas-esque?"

Evan chewed his donut thoughtfully, pausing before swallowing and tilting his head slightly.

"What are you thinking?"

Tyler tapped his chin dramatically before pointing at the ceiling like he had been hit with a fabulous idea.

"How about another round of Christmas Story, cocoa, and presents?"

Evan smiled happily at the first two ideas, but the jovial expression faltered, then fell after the last one.

"O-oh..."

He sighed.

Tyler frowned, his eyebrows scrunching in worry.

"Evan? What's wrong?"

Evan glanced up from his plate, a false smile gracing his features for a moment before his gaze returned to his plate.

"I-um...I didn't get you anything."

Tyler scoffed, Evan's eyes flicking to look at him.

"I've told you; you being here and happy is a gift enough for me."

Evan smiled sheepishly, his cheeks fading pink.

"Thanks."

He giggled, taking a sip of his milk before resuming what remained of his donut. Tyler couldn't wipe the warm smile from his face, quickly shoving what remained of his maple bar in his mouth.

"Tho, thould I thurn on Crithmath Thtory?"

Tyler managed to mumble through a mouthful of donut. Evan laughed, almost choking on his donut.

"Sure, why not."

He giggled, swallowing the last bite of his breakfast. Tyler managed to swallow the rest of his donut, chugging his glass of milk before turning the tv on. _A Christmas Story_ was still playing as it was on its 24-hour run, so Tyler just began heating up some milk for cocoa as Evan finished his breakfast.

Soon, they were settled back onto Tyler's couch, a cup of steaming hot chocolate in both their hands. They laughed and smiled as the movie played, and as it neared its end, Tyler got a text from the group chat.

 

**Brian**

_We're meeting at my place for sledding and snowball fights, want to join?_

 

Tyler smiled at the text, glancing at Evan who was watching him curiously.

"You want to go build snow forts at Brian's? Everyone's gathering there."

Evan grinned brightly, nodding eagerly.

"Sure! Is been awhile since I've had a snowball war when I wasn't being drowned in snow."

He blinked at his own comment, smile faltering before taking a sip of his cocoa and chuckling dryly. Tyler frowned, but gave Evan a small smile when he looked back up.

"We can head there after the movie, then you can open your present and we'll engage in icy warfare."

Evan's smile returned, weaker, but still there.

"Okay."

He curled into Tyler's side, huddling against him like he was cold. Tyler pulled the blanket on top of them tighter around Evan, rubbing the smaller's back subconsciously.

They quickly finished their warm drinks, Tyler leaving the empty cups on the floor so he wouldn't have to leave Evan. The movie ended, with Evan yawning drowsily into the credits. Tyler patted his back so he would wake up, the latter groaning in protest before stretching.

"Alright, present time!"

Tyler chirped, leaping to his feet and hurrying toward his room.

He ripped his closet open, pulling the carefully wrapped present out of its hiding place before hurrying back to Evan, sliding on his socks before stopping by the couch.

"Open it."

Tyler instructed, holding the box covered in shiny red paper closer to Evan.

The latter blinked in surprise at how fast Tyler had been and took the box in cautious hands. He placed it in his lap, then looked up at Tyler with a frown.

"Really Tyler, I feel bad not getting you anything. Just...."

Tyler shushed him with a finger pressed against his lips, then pointed at the box.

"Doesn't matter. Open it."

Tyler plopped beside Evan as he sighed, shaking his head with a smile before tearing the box open. When he pulled the flaps open he gasped. Evan reached into the box slowly, lifting out the article of clothing with gentle fingers.

It was a pale green hoodie, with a slightly darker owl made of stitching etched into the back.

Evan's eyes sparkled as he took in the gift, staring with a slack jaw for several moments before dropping it and pulling Tyler into a tight hug.

"Thank you."

He breathed, gratitude filling every syllable. Tyler's heart swelled at Evan's words, holding the teen protectively.

"Anything for you."

Tyler promised, smiling warmly. Evan nuzzled into the crook of his neck, sniffling after a moment. Tyler pulled him away to see Evan wiping his flushed face, a smile laid across his lips.

"S-sorry, I swear these are happy tears."

Evan sniffled, causing Tyler to chuckle.

"Good. Now put this on, I'll grab some gloves for us, and then we're playing in the snow."

Tyler booped Evan's nose and stood up, heading to his room as Evan giggled behind him. He pulled a thick hoodie from his closet, then grabbed two pairs of gloves for them to use. He was about to shut the closet door but paused when he saw a strip of fabric on the floor. He quickly picked it up and shut the door, walking back to the living room as Evan finished smoothing the new hoodie he had slipped over his head.

He glanced up at Tyler, pocketing his hands as a perfect smile graced his face.

"Do you like it?"

Tyler asked, tossing the gloves down on the couch as he walked slower toward Evan. The smaller nodded vigorously, running his hand down the front before returning the delicate fingers to the pocket.

"It's really soft."

He mumbled sheepishly, earning a laugh from Tyler.

"Choose whichever gloves you want, and here,"

Evan looked up from the gloves in time to see Tyler wrap a black scarf around his neck, scoffing when Tyler stepped back.

"Thanks,"

He said curtly with a roll of chocolate eyes. Tyler chuckled, pulling his navy blue hoodie over his head before grabbing blue gloves, Evan taking the black ones.

"To the car!"

Tyler called jovially, pumping a fist in the air. Evan giggled before copying him with another,

"To the car!"

Tyler snatched his keys then they hurried to the car, Evan stepping in Tyler's footprints. When Tyler pulled up to Brian's house, he saw everyone standing in the front, already beginning to throw snowballs. Tyler turned the ignition, about to step out of his car when he felt a hand on his wrist.

"Who's that?"

Evan chirped. Tyler looked up to see him pointing at a smaller kid, laughing beside Brock as David wiped fresh snow from his face. He was wearing an orange wool hat and had a big brown jacket over his thin frame.

Tyler, however, recognized him by the 3D glasses he was wearing.

"Oh, that's Smitty. He's Brock's little brother."

Evan stared at him for a moment, nodding.

"I didn't know Brock had a brother..."

He commented quietly, slowly opening his door. Tyler stepped out after him, closing and locking the car with a beep.

"Tyler, Evan!"

Brian crowed, throwing an arm around both their necks as they headed up his driveway. The laughter fell silent as everyone looked down the driveway at the smiling teen.

_Oh right, they thought he had moved back._

Tyler reminded himself as Evan was quickly swarmed. Brian and Tyler were more or less shoved away, with Brian rolling his blue eyes and running a hand through his brown hair.

"We were about to head to the park until they started a mini snow war. But I'll get them going again."

He reassured with a wink as Tyler nodded knowingly.

The group, now happily reunited, returned to their antics, Craig giggling as Scotty shook snow from his hair, pouncing on Jonathan to try and shove him into a snowdrift.

Evan made his way toward Smitty, and the two seemed to hit it off well, erupting into quick laughter as Brock watched with a slight smile. Brian quickly began convincing the group to begin moving toward the park, Tyler managing to find himself beside Marcel as they began their journey.

" _So_?"

Marcel signed, raising an eyebrow at Tyler before stowing his hands in his purple hoodie. Tyler cast a glance toward Evan who was laughing in the back of the group with Craig and Smitty on either side. He acknowledged the spear of jealousy in his chest. He sighed as he turned back toward Marcel.

"First thing's first, no, I haven't told him."

This earned Tyler a swift punch in the arm, while Marcel snorted in annoyance.

"Sorry! I was going to tell him when I got a phone call."

Marcel glared at him, his white beanie allowing a few strands of hair to fall in his dark gaze.

"It was important! And I didn't answer until they called me twice."

Tyler mumbled defensively, shielding his arm before Marcel could punch him again.

" _What was the call_?"

Marcel signed finally. Tyler paused, looking around to ensure Scotty was distracted before signing a response.

" _Evan's dad was killed_."

The aggression on Marcel's face flooded away, replaced with shock.

" _What? How_?"

" _Apparently his girlfriend stabbed him because she didn't want Evan to live with them, but you can't tell anyone. Evan doesn't know how he died_."

" _Has he asked_?"

" _No, I think he's too scared to. And I don't blame him_."

Marcel nodded, looking behind him at Evan before shaking his head.

" _So that's why he's still here_."

Tyler nodded before saying,

"They'll call me when they decide on a living arrangement for him."

Small conversation followed them to the park, a few other families playing with younger children when they got there.

As soon as they got near, Scotty, Craig, and Ryan took off, sprinting while laughing toward the park. David and Jonathan soon followed suit, with Brian calling exasperatedly after them. Tyler chuckled and patted him on the back.

"Leave them be Brian."

Brian cast a fake solemn glance at Tyler, then immediately chuckled.

"Alright, race ya!"

He sprinted toward the park and toward where the others were already building snow forts.

"Hey!"

Tyler called after him, chuckling and sprinting too.

Eventually, everyone had reached the park, and the group was split into two teams. There was more than their usual ten people, so Brock had an extra team member, although he made sure there was no arguing against it.

Tyler, Evan, Craig, Marcel, and Scotty were on Team 1, otherwise called "Team Cool". Brock, Smitty, Jonathan, David, Ryan, and Brian were on Team 2, otherwise called "Team Winner".

Both teams build their fort up so that they could duck behind it for protection, packing the snow tightly to ensure its stability. Then, they began making snowballs.

Brock threw the first shot, hitting Marcel square in the face when Brian called his name. Team 2 was engulfed in laughter, although it was short-lived as they were quickly pelted by snowballs. They were all throwing them for a bit, but when their pile began to run out Craig and Evan began stockpiling more as fast as they could make them.

Tyler was hit square in the face, and from the laughter, he assumed it was Brock, who by far had the best aim. Tyler scraped the snow off his freezing face as best he could, crouching to grab a snowball when Evan stood and threw one, giggling when he hit someone, however, his laughter didn't last long.

"WHO THREW THAT?"

Any smiles that danced across the guy's faces quickly fell, peeking over their fort to see a very upset Brock. Tyler figured that's who Evan had hit, but there was no snow on his red jacket or his face.

"Who'd you hit?"

Tyler whispered to Evan, who was the only one still standing.

"Smitty..."

He whispered, barely audible.

Tyler frowned.

Why was Brock upset? Smitty had gotten hit by plenty of snowballs, it was part of the game. Brock stormed toward their fort, Tyler standing and pulling Evan behind him as Brock glared at the one in the green hoodie.

"Tyler, let him go."

Brock growled, his green eyes boring into him.

"What happened, I'm sure it was an accident."

Tyler said sternly, keeping a hand on Evan's arm behind him.

He could feel him shaking.

Brock huffed, crossing his arms.

"That fucking snowball had a rock in it. Smitty's going to get a bruise!"

Brock roared the last comment, Evan barely dodging his grasp as he tried to grab him.

"Moo, it was an accident! It didn't even hurt."

Smitty called from behind their fort. Brock turned to look at his brother, Evan whimpering guiltily. Brock cast a last glare at Tyler, then walked back to Smitty.

"Yes it did, you said ow!"

Smitty pouted, and even from the about 4 meters away Tyler was from him, he could see a red mark appearing on his cheek, his 3D glasses slightly off-kilter. 

"It was instinct. I'm fine, Brock."

He glanced worriedly at Evan, giving him a small smile before looking back at Brock.

"Ugh, fine! He should at least apologize."

Smitty's face twisted up in disbelief.

"It's a _snowball fight_! That's what _happens_ in a _snowball fight_!"

Brock huffed angrily, but the argument ended there.

They spent several more hours there, creating snow angels, throwing snowballs and rolling down snow hills. Evan and Tyler went home first, Evan shivering yet grinning widely the whole way home.

"So? Have fun?"

Tyler asked, ignoring the chills that ran up and down his own body. Evan giggled, rubbing his arms to warm them through his new jacket.

"Y-Yeah, n-now I w-want cocoa."

Evan shivered, pulling his arms into his jacket. Tyler chuckled at him, and the short ride was filled with cheerful comments.

When they reached the apartment, the evening was full of Christmas carols, cups of hot chocolate and dancing with strings of lights. Tyler thought Evan looked wonderfully handsome laughing and wrapped in lights. 

Mistletoe laid silently forgotten on the counter.


	19. Chapter 19 (Evan)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N- Yes I know I've been focusing on the fluffy couple for way too long, but I can assure you that the next chapter will be delving into one of the other guy's lives.
> 
> Anyway, hope you enjoy another fluffy chapter!
> 
> <3 ~Echo

Brian had discussed how there would be a New Years Eve party at his place on Christmas, so all Evan had to do was make it through a school-less week. Which wasn't very hard as he got to spend it with Tyler.

At least the evenings anyway.

They had spent Monday morning together, then Tyler got a call from his boss and had to go in for work. He had apologized profusely, saying he really had to go in to help out at the office. Evan, of course, shooed him out of the house, telling him to go to work for the rest of the week too.

He didn't want to hold him back.

Tyler gave him a hug on his way out every morning, returning in the same fashion around 5:30.

Then, they would eat dinner that Evan had managed to cook (that was never very good, although he tried his best) and they would separate to their rooms.

Evan's would always crawl into bed and lay there for a while, wishing he could feel Tyler's warmth press against him as he drifted off to sleep. He hadn't had nightmares when he slept with Tyler, but now they ravaged his brain, filling his head with screaming and warped metal. Fire swarmed him, chasing him away as his mother screamed desperately for him to help her. His father was there too, screaming and gurgling on blood as he reached out for Evan. The teen didn't know how he died, and frankly didn't want to, worried it would trigger worse nightmares.

Every morning Evan would wake in a cold sweat around 3 am, only to lie in silence until he heard Tyler get up around 6. Then, pretending like he just woke up, he would wander over to Tyler and give him a groggy hug.

"Evan, you shouldn't be up this early."

Tyler would scold, although there was always a light in his blue eyes that told Evan he enjoyed the morning company. Then, Tyler would leave and Evan would turn on the tv, eventually dozing off to the droning of infomercials. He would usually wake up around 10:20 and scrape together a ham and cheese sandwich before pulling out some cards for solitaire.

He wasn't sure how many times he played that card game before watching random movies, all of which he only saw half of. Seriously. At first, he thought it wouldn't bother him, but now he was introduced to dozens of characters that he never saw what came of their adventures, or he saw the endings of love stories or what felt like should be heartbreaks with practically cardboard cutouts as he knew nobody.

To say it annoyed Evan was an understatement.

Evan resorted to cleaning many times, or playing the radio as he didn't like listening to his thoughts. They had been good as long as Tyler had cared for him, and he wasn't going to change that now.

The days trickled on, and Evan found himself counting down the hours until it was Saturday. In fact, he was staring at the clock that seemed glued to 11:59, letting out a happy squeak when it changed to 12:00. He threw himself back onto his bed, relishing in the smell of himself and Tyler that puffed from the old mattress. Eventually, he rolled to his feet, his body wide awake but mind strained from lack of sleep.

"I _could_ make breakfast for tomorrow..."

Evan proposed to himself, his face twisted in contemplation.

_"I'm sure Tyler would like that."_

Cooed a voice all too familiar to Evan. When he had first heard the voices in his head, they terrified him. However, it seemed with Tyler's presence the only voice that remained sent Evan positivity, usually in the same tone as his mother's.

He smiled to himself, nodding as if to seal the deal and practically skipping to the kitchen. Evan opened the fridge and pulled out some eggs, figuring they looked simple enough to cook. He got a pan out and turned the stove on, cracking two eggs onto the warm surface and listening to the sizzle. He got a spatula out, waiting a bit for the eggs to cook. 

His mind wandered as he waited, and found himself thinking about Tyler. He would still catch himself staring at the taller teen, taking in his rounded features and getting lost in his sky blue eyes.

_But does that mean I love him?_

Evan frowned at this thought. He knew he had thoughts of kissing Tyler before, but love isn't just wanting to kiss someone.

At least Evan hoped it wasn't.

In his mind's eye, love was a constant feeling of happiness that made you giggle and clinging to the other person because they were your everything. Love was the small moments where each person would do whatever they could to make the other laugh, and whispering quiet nothings in their ear.

Evan felt his heart hang.

Did that mean he didn't love Tyler? Sure, Tyler had been kind to him, and Evan enjoyed seeing him smile, but they didn't cling to each other. Tyler wouldn't whisper into Evan's ear or spend every moment lost in his eyes.

Evan's grip on the spatula tightened and he held back tears.

Sure, Tyler gave him a gift, but it was Christmas. Sure, they hugged, but it was probably because Evan would hug him first. And Evan felt happy around Tyler, in fact, everything bad was always pushed out of his mind when the taller teen was around.

But that didn't mean Tyler felt the same.

In fact, now that Evan thought about it, Tyler was probably just doing what he had to until Evan was sent somewhere else. All Tyler had to do was keep Evan happy and alive, and he'd been doing that.

Evan felt his shoulders shudder and a tear dropped to the tile floor.

No, there was no love in their relationship. So why was he so sad at that thought? Evan was never in love with anyone before, and just because one of his friends spent extra time with him because he had to didn't mean Evan had to go falling head over heels for him.

_Besides, girls were okay..._

Evan grit his teeth. That last thought felt disgusting.

He jumped when there was a loud screech. The sound continued, blaring through the apartment and drilling into Evan's head. He dropped the spatula in his freight and looked up to see the eggs he had been cooking blackened and smoking. The dark billow had circled a smoke detector which was blasting the shrill sound.

_Oh no..._

Evan thought, his heart thudding as he flicked the stove off and moved the pan onto a different burner. Tyler came scrambling into the kitchen, his eyes wide as he frantically scanned the room, his eyes falling on Evan. The smaller teen froze in his gaze.

"Evan? Wha'z goin' on?"

He slurred, hurrying to his side and seeing the burnt eggs. Evan still couldn't move as his eyes were locked on Tyler's face, awaiting his reaction.

"Wha'dr you doing cooking eggs at one in the morning?"

He snapped, opening a window to get the smoke out. Evan swallowed, his fingers twisting together in an attempt to knot them.

"I-I-I'm sorry."

He finally stuttered after the alarm stopped. Tyler looked at him curiously, his hair twisted strangely in ragged bedhead.

"What's wrong?"

He asked gentler, his tone clearing as he woke up further. Evan mentally slapped himself, guilt piling onto his already injured heart.

"N-nothing. I just wanted to make breakfast..."

Evan trailed off, staring intently at his hands.

_Seems like I can't cook eggs either..._

He added to the growing list of food he had failed at, gritting his teeth to repress a sob. He quickly swiped a hand over his face to wipe away the tears. Tyler pulled Evan into a hug, and the smaller squinted his eyes shut but didn't reciprocate.

"Ev, thank you for trying. Let's go to bed. I'll show you how to cook eggs in the morning, okay?"

Evan was still swallowing his sobs and could only nod in response. Tyler released Evan but kept an arm around his shoulders as he steered Evan toward his bed, Evan freezing when he entered his room. Caramel and honey hung heavily in the air, and Evan felt his knees wobble as Tyler cooed,

"Evan? You okay?"

Evan cleared his throat, barely trusting his voice.

"W-why can't I go to my room?"

He croaked. He looked up at Tyler in time to see hurt fill his eyes, and a frown pull at his lips.

"Y-you don't want to sleep in here?"

Evan dropped his gaze, trying to hide his hands shaking. When he didn't answer, Tyler cleared his throat.

"Sure, if you don't want to sleep in here you can go to your room."

Evan nodded and hurried across the hall to his room, closing the door gently and waiting until he heard Tyler's door close before collapsing against the door. Sobs wretched his body, but he held back as much sound as he could so as to not alert Tyler. His head rested against the warm wood as tears streamed down his face, gasping for breath as he trembled.

_"So stupid."_

_"You thought he cared?"_

_"He only does what he has to."_

Evan curled in on himself as the voices ridiculed him, his mother's voice crowded out.

_"Now he hates you."_

_"You nearly burned down the apartment!"_

_"You could've killed him!"_

_"He'll never forgive you."_

_"YOU'RE SUCH AN IDIOT!"_

—-

Evan woke up on the floor, stiff and achy. He could barely remember the night before, other than the terror of setting off the smoke detector. He was also cold, chills running up and down his body as he struggled to his feet. He checked the clock on his bedside table to see it at 8:00 am and sighed.

_Tyler's probably left for work._

He opened the door and stumbled into the kitchen, hearing a clatter that tugged his gaze toward the stove. Tyler was standing there, cooking bacon and omelets. His icy gaze glanced up at Evan, smiling when he realized who it was.

"Good morning Evan! Sorry I didn't wake you up, but I wanted to let you sleep."

Evan smiled weakly, giving Tyler a small nod before sitting at the dining table.

_That's right, it's Saturday._

They ate breakfast, Evan feeling like his emotions were slightly numb as a headache pounded his head. They watched tv until around 1:00 pm before beginning to head over to Brian's.

Evan was quiet, feeling slightly off as he recalled more and more of what had happened the night prior. Tyler seemed to notice, constantly sending worried smiles his direction whenever they made eye contact. When they got to the party it got better though, it wasn't as awkward with more than two people. Evan found himself able to smile again, not as genuine, but he didn't have to force it.

As the evening wore on though, Evan was able to slide back into his skin, laughing and joking like the past evening was a bad dream. It was growing late, the guys getting drunk off sleep deprivation and soda. Laughter filtered through the house, the tv playing quietly as the news reporter spoke to people on the street and the hours ticked down to 2005.

"So Marcel, truth or dare?"

Brian asked with a smirk. Marcel didn't hesitate, creating a "D" with his hand before sipping his Fanta.

"I dare you to say something!"

Marcel narrowed his eyes, smiling before shaking his head.

" _Not that easy_."

Tyler translated the signs with a chuckle. Brian sighed then said,

"Alright, I dare you to put ice down your shirt."

He pointed at the bowl of ice on the counter, and Marcel got up, tucking his shirt in before dropping a few cubes down the front of his shirt and shivering. Then he sat back down on his chair and pointed at Brock.

"Dare."

Brock said, drinking from a bottle he had brought himself. It was clear in coloration and seemed to make the teen happier than usual.

" _I dare you to drink that whole bottle_!"

Tyler gasped after the translation, and everyone turned to look at Brock who was smirking already.

"Easy."

He then proceeded to drink half the bottle, spluttering as he choked on the water-like drink.

"I can't drink anymore-"

He coughed, holding his throat. The guys booed him but didn't push him any further. When Brock collected himself he slurred,

"Tyler, truth er dare?"

Tyler glanced at Evan from where he was seated beside him before crowing,

"Truth."

Brock mumbled something under his breath and a couple guys rolled their eyes.

"Fine, who do you have a crush on?"

Tyler's face flushed dark red, and everyone laughed, although Evan only chuckled dryly.

"Um...w-well..."

He trailed off, Marcel shoving him from Tyler's other side.

"Y-you already know who I like! I have a crush on Kelly!"

The living room erupted into 'aww's and kissy faces, all of which Tyler rolled his eyes at. Evan forced a smile, turning his attention toward the tv to distract himself.

He didn't see Marcel pointing at Evan and slapping Tyler's arm in annoyance.

"My turn, my turn!"

Tyler announced eventually, bringing the guys back to the game.

"Evan, truth or dare?"

Evan tore his eyes away from the tv, glancing at Tyler before looking at his drink.

"Um..."

_"Don't pick truth baby."_

_"No wonder Tyler doesn't like you."_

_"They'll laugh at you if you don't say dare!"_

"Dare."

He said finally, still staring at the root beer in his hands.

"O-okay, I dare you to...eat a chocolate donut."

Evan looked up at Tyler in surprise. That wasn't that difficult of a dare. The others seemed to agree.

"What? That's not fair!"

Ryan snapped, glaring threateningly at Tyler. Tyler didn't seem to hear him, looking at Evan with a worried look on his face.

"Come on, give me something harder."

Evan coaxed, hating that Tyler was pitying him. He wasn't a little kid, he could handle bumps in the road and didn't need to be treated differently.

"Then I dare you to follow me."

Tyler said, his expression changing so that the dare was more of a command than a game. Evan blinked in surprise, then mumbled a soft,

"Okay..."

The guys looked around in confusion, and Tyler stood up, walking into the entryway away from the guys with Evan following him. When they reached the door, he stopped and turned toward Evan.

"What's wrong? You seem down."

Evan sighed, running a hand over his face before sipping his root beer.

_I can't tell him the truth, he's obviously straight and I'm...maybe...not. What'll seem like a convincing lie?_

"I just...remembered spending New Year's Eve with my mom. I guess I miss her."

Evan frowned, hating that he had to lie, but also feeling like it was a partial truth. He missed his mom tons.

Tyler hugged him, but Evan didn't reciprocate.

"I'm sorry. I know it'll be awhile until you feel better again and that's okay. Healing takes time. Stay here as long as you need and then come back over when you're ready. I can explain it to the guys if you want me to."

Evan shook his head, beginning to walk back toward the guys as Tyler walked beside him.

"I'm fine. It was just a moment."

They returned with curious gazes and an over-excited Marcel who quickly slapped Tyler again after the taller teen signed a few things.

The game of truth or dare continued, with some smelling old shoes or running outside wearing nothing but underwear and screaming what a beautiful butterfly they are. Eventually, the lateness of the night kicked in, and it was down to the final minutes of 2004. Everyone was yawning and forcing their eyes open, Brock long passed out on the couch with an empty bottle of whatever it was he had been drinking in hand.

"And we are coming down to the last 5 minutes of this year..."

The news reporter said cheerfully, the volume of the tv turned up to keep them awake. The only one who seemed perfectly awake was Ryan, and he was downing another cup of coke while eating a cookie.

"Evan, wake up."

Jonathan mumbled, jerking Evan awake and causing him to sit up.

"I'm up...imup..."

He yawned, standing to stretch. When he stood it disturbed Tyler, who looked around like he had forgotten where he was before standing to get another drink of soda.

"Come on losers, let's wake up so we can start this countdown."

Ryan said, kicking David awake who was so startled he fell off the couch.

"Ow..."

David grunted, pushing himself off the floor. Eventually, everyone was awake, eating or drinking to stay awake for just a while longer. Evan was standing behind the couch, leaning on it while sipping on a bottle of coke. He was staring at Brock, who was drooling onto the armrest when someone stood next to him.

"Only a minute left until the new year."

Craig said, scarfing down a cupcake. Evan nodded, still not moving his eyes. Out of the corner of his eyes, Evan saw Craig look at someone and mouth some words before turning back to him.

"Let's move closer to the tv, the ball is gonna drop soon."

Suggested the smaller teen, shrugging nonchalantly. Evan shrugged in response then the two moved to the other side of the couch, standing in front of the tv. The other guys began to gather nearby, Tyler and Marcel appearing beside Evan and Craig. Evan glanced at Tyler, but the taller teen was too busy signing at Marcel who was smirking while the former looked confused.

Suddenly Evan had his attention taken by a loud countdown.

"5! 4! 3! 2! 1! Happy New Year!"

Cheers screamed through the tv and the guys whooped. Craig lost his balance and shoved Evan, and Evan was about to apologize when someone else was shoved into him and their faces met.

The world froze and went silent.

Evan was staring wide-eyed at Tyler, who was staring at him with equal shock. Their lips were touching, and Evan felt fire rise into his face as the world returned to focus. The muffled screams echoed through the speakers on the tv, and the surrounding teens were laughing as Tyler and Evan pulled apart, both of them beet red.

Craig and Marcel fist bumped.

"Ooo! Tyler and Evan sitting in a tree,"

Brian began, grinning drunkenly.

"K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

Echoed the rest of the guys, all of them smiling.

"Oh shut up."

Tyler dismissed, his face dark with blush as he swatted away David and Jonathan. Evan was still standing in shock, his first instinct being to run away until this strange warmth left his chest. Instead, he stared at his hands, knotting them together as he sat slowly back onto the couch.

He was no longer tired.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also sorry this chapter is up late I have been busy with exams and **just** finished it so sorry if it sucks :')


	20. Chapter 20 (Craig and David)

(Craig)

Craig slipped through the crowds toward the cafeteria, the students around him looking annoyed or exhausted.

School had kicked back into high gear, everyone still getting used to the schedule after the long break.

Speaking of, Craig was still slightly offset from the New Year's Eve party. Marcel had pulled him aside at the beginning, showing Craig several notes where he had scratched down how he wanted Craig to help him get the two lovebirds to kiss. Craig had obviously agreed, seeing the way Evan looked at Tyler.

But...

Craig sighed. Tyler had seemed to change that way he acted around Evan ever since the two started living together, taking on a more parental role than a lover in Craig's eye.

_Glad I'm not going through that with Sami._

Craig smiled slightly at her name, earning a shove from David.

"What're you smiling at?"

He asked, looking where Craig had been staring at a wall. Craig chuckled and shoved him back, shaking his head.

"Nothing, just thinking about stuff."

David rolled his eyes and muttered,

"Whatever..."

Craig began eating his food, tuning into the conversation at the table. Tyler and Evan were beside each other as usual, although Evan's dark eyes seemed faded as he stared at his sandwich. Tyler glanced at him and gave the shorter a nudge.

"Come on, eat Evan."

Evan blinked, then picked up his food and began eating, but he didn't say anything the entire lunch. Craig frowned as everyone stood up to go to their next class, although Craig felt like a leech was draining his heart every time he looked at Evan. When he couldn't handle it anymore he grabbed Tyler's wrist and stopped, allowing the group to pass them.

He took a deep breath, already having planned the whole conversation in his mind.

"Tyler, you like Evan, right?"

He was blunt, keeping his voice down as Tyler tinted red.

"I...I mean..."

He trailed off and Craig rolled his eyes.

"Marcel told me. Anyway,"

Tyler glared at the back of Marcel's head but turned his attention back to Craig when he continued speaking.

"Are you sure?"

Tyler blinked in confusion, so Craig clarified.

"Are you sure you _like_ Evan?"

Tyler scoffed, smiling as he looked at the crowd ahead of them.

"Of course I'm sure, I've never felt this way around anyone else before. Not even Kelly."

Craig sighed but gave Tyler a small smile.

"Just...check your emotions. Maybe this is different because you feel bad for what's happened to Evan and want to help him. That doesn't make it love."

Tyler frowned at his words and stared at his feet, only giving Craig a small wave when they split for different classes.

Craig walked into geometry feeling drained. He felt bad to have potentially ruined the relationship and knew Marcel would probably get on his case later, but he had to talk to Tyler. He didn't want the two to get in a relationship and then break each other's hearts when they realized it wasn't what either wanted.

He dropped his things at his desk, sighing and leaning on his hand as more students filtered into the room. He stared numbly at the wall until she entered his peripheral.

She hurried into the class clutching a couple books to her chest right as the bell rang, smiling as she placed her things down at her desk. The teacher eyed her, then began his class.

Craig couldn't hide the smile that forced their way to his lips as he watched her putting her things away and pulling the notebook and pencil she would need for class. She brushed her long dark hair from her face, adjusting the delicate glasses placed on the edge of her nose.

He blinked out of the trance she had put him in when his name was called.

"Craig?"

All eyes turned to look at him, including her's.

"Y-yes?"

He stuttered, his face flushing with embarrassment.

"What is the answer to number 12?"

The teacher snapped, glaring threateningly at the student. He was not the nicest teacher

"I-Um... don't know."

He choked out eventually, looking down at his table and running a hand through his hair.

"Mmm, well maybe you would if you got your notebook out Mr. Thompson."

A few students giggled as the teacher returned to the problem on the board.

"Does anybody know the answer?"

She shot her hand in the air.

"Yes, Sami?"

"The answer is the square root of 42."

"Very good."

Sami turned to look over at the still-flustered Craig. They locked eyes and she grinned before winking at him.

Craig didn't want to know how red his face got.

 

The bell rang and class ended, Craig packing up his things.

"You dropped this..."

Someone said, pushing a small piece of paper toward him. 

"Oh, I don't think that-"

Craig froze when he looked up at who it was.

It was Sami.

Her smile grew when he froze.

"You sure? Your name was on it..."

She smirked and sent him another wink before putting the paper in his hand.

"See ya later Craig!"

She chirped before leaving the room. Craig sat in shock for a moment before slowly looking at the paper in his hand. He flipped it over and read the fragile handwriting. It was so tidy and beautiful on the paper.

 

_Call me sometime Mr. Thompson!_

_(303) 123-4567_

_~ Sami_

 

Craig's heart fluttered and he knew he probably looked like a dork, standing and smiling like that.

"Class is over, Thompson."

The teacher hissed from his desk.

"Right...sorry sir."

Craig huffed as he gathered things and left the classroom. However, as soon as he stepped out of the room he looked at the note again, smiling before heading to his next class.

***

(David)

David smiled as he listened to the conversation going on beside him, only half listening as he let his mind wander loosely. It was like he put it on a leash and took it for a walk, only letting it wander further when he wanted it to. However, his attention was brought toward his friends as he caught the eyes of the other teen that was close to his height. The blue eyes seemed nervous and every smile he produced was fake. David frowned slightly, seeing Tyler's attention turn to Evan who was staring at the dirt underfoot and face steely.

_I wonder what's wrong with them..._

David began running through all the possibilities in his mind, finally deciding that maybe the two had a cold and weren't feeling good. Not all the symptoms aligned, but David would consult his nursing book to check.

When he said goodbye to his friends and climbed onto the bus, the teen opened his backpack and pulled out the thick book about nursing. His green eyes shone as he opened the book that once belonged to his mother. She was a local nurse, and a good one at that. She seemed to know how to treat anything off the top of her head and David wanted to be just like her. He did, however, like kids and wanted to be a pediatrician, so the job would be a bit different. He opened the book, checking for the symptoms his friends looked like they were experiencing. There were some notes on the worn pages in his mother's handwriting, making him smile whenever he read one.

_"Remember this! It's SUPER common!"_

David giggled at the frantically scratched words, seeing other noted similar to it throughout the pages. He paused when he saw a date etched onto one.

_"Movies with Henry on Friday! <3"_

Davi felt his breathing stagger and his heart increased speed for a moment. He swallowed, turning the page to continue looking.

That didn't stop his mind from remembering though.

All those nights spent huddled in his room as his parents screamed.

His mother usually waking him with a black eye and broken smile.

"Don't worry about me, momma's fine..."

She would always coo as David pressed her for answers. He would eventually give up as he was being asked the same thing by his friends.

"Where did that bruise come from?"

"You sure you're okay?"

"You know blood is supposed to stay _in_ your body, right?"

He took a deep breathe, forcing the panicked tears away.

Those days were over now. They had ran away in 7th grade when he met the guys. Tyler and Ryan had joined the crew that year too. Tyler had been cheery and bright, lightening the group and improving David's happiness with every day he spent with them. Not that Tyler wasn't anymore, but the loss of his parents hit him hard. Ryan had been near mute when they had first met him, only saying at most two words a day. Then he seemed to grow more collected and became a ball of depression with bouts of anger. He had his good, happy moments though.

David couldn't find much more on what could be wrong with his friends, so he shrugged it off as the bus came to a stop. He stood and began walking home, greeted by a cheery mom and a warm dinner. The shared the meal with smiles and laughs.

David's dark memories were shoved away back to where they belonged.


	21. Chapter 21 (Tyler)

It was Thursday, January sixth. Tyler was trying to do homework at the table, but his mind kept wandering to Evan who insisted on doing his homework in his room. And after what Craig had said on Tuesday, Tyler had been questioning _every_ thought about Evan.

He sighed and whispered,

"Why can't I just tell him I love him?"

Evan had seemed to turn into a shell of himself, and Tyler noticed a few bruises on his arms. Although, whenever Tyler tried to ask the smaller teen about it, he'd only mumble a 'don't worry about it' or 'I'm fine'. Evan had also been struggling with eating, making Tyler feel even more like a parent as he coaxed him to at least have a few bites of food.

 

At work, he talked to Anthony, and his friend frowned.

"He stopped eating?"

Tyler closed a file, putting it in its place in the cabinet.

"By himself, yeah. I can convince him to eat though."

Anthony frowned.

"His parent's death hit him hard?"

Tyler let the file in his hand slip from his grasp. He had already asked himself these questions hundreds of times and he felt like he was going crazy. He rubbed his face and tired eyes as he answered.

"I think it took awhile for him to realize they were really gone. He was fine for about a month before he started shutting down."

"It could just be depression, do you want to bring him in?"

Tyler ran a hand through his hair at Anthony's question, looking up to meet the eyes of his long-time friend.

"Y-yeah...maybe. I guess I just-"

He was cut off when his phone began ringing, startling both of them. Tyler slowly pulled his phone from his pocket, glancing at the unknown number before answering.

"Hello?"

"Is this Mr. Wine?"

Tyler glanced at Anthony at the sound of the strange voice and answered,

"Yes, sir."

"We have situated Mr. Fong who we believe is under your care. Is that correct?"

"Yes, sir."

Anthony returned to his files, glancing up at Tyler every few moments.

"Evan is to live with his uncle, William Fong. He will be meeting Evan at Amy Fong's house where they will live until Evan is 18 or another unfortunate event occurs. He will be arriving on Saturday, January fifteenth around noon. Any questions?"

Tyler felt his heart pounding and took a moment to register the question.

"N-no, sir."

"Alright. Good day, Mr. Wine. And take care of your father."

The phone line clicked and Tyler winced.

He forgot that they still thought his dad was alive, but it was the only way they would let Evan live with him. He put the phone down, sighing and dropping his face into his hands.

"What's wrong?"

Anthony asked, a gentle hand placed on Tyler's shoulder.

"Evan's got a home."

There was a stunned silence before Anthony asked,

"With who?"

Tyler lifted his head, organizing fillies to avoid Anthony's gaze. He didn't want him to see the tears threatening to spill.

"H-his...uh...uncle. He's moving into Evan's old house."

The room was quiet except for the shuffling of papers before Anthony spoke again.

"That's weird."

Tyler glanced up to see what Anthony was talking about, only to see him looking at Tyler.

"W-what's weird?"

Anthony was frowning, his eyebrows scrunched in question.

"Kids, when their parents die, usually go to their relatives first. It's strange that they only _now_ find his uncle."

Tyler scrunched his eyebrows as well, looking at the file in his hands.

"I don't know. I know his grandparents wanted nothing to do with him, something about 'bad luck' or whatever. They weren't really close, and that's why he was able to stay with me. But that doesn't explain his uncle."

They pondered for a while before their shift ended and they had to finish up. Tyler drove home in silence, trying to figure out how to tell Evan about his new housing situation. They had a little more than a week to get everything situated.

And, because they didn't know if Evan's uncle would approve, they couldn't get Evan professional therapy sessions. Anthony's dad did give Tyler a few bits of advice on getting Evan to open up though. The only problem was that Evan could always just clam up because he knows Tyler and might be afraid he'll judge him.

"Just keep him calm and let him know he's in a safe place. Maybe even talk about what you see at work so that he knows you'll understand."

 

Tyler kept repeating those words from Mr. Brown in his head, hoping that he'll be able to get through to Evan as he pulled into the apartment parking lot.

"Evan! I'm home!"

Tyler called out as he closed the door behind him. A few snowflakes followed him in, quickly melting when they touched the ground. Evan didn't respond, so Tyler poked his head into his room, seeing the smaller teen sitting on his bed and staring at the stuffed owl in his hands.

"Evan?"

Tyler said quietly. Evan jumped and whipped around to face him, quickly wiping tears from his face.

"Um...h-hey, Tyler."

He croaked, a small smile pulling falsely at his lips. Tyler frowned slightly and stepped fully into Evan's room.

"How was today?"

Tyler asked gently, sitting beside the smaller teen. Evan flinched away from him slightly, but didn't move away.

"G-good."

Tyler hoped he would say more, but Evan went quiet and stared at the owl in his hands. Tyler bit his bottom lip, trying to lighten the mood before bringing up his uncle.

"You like the owl still?"

He asked with a smile. Evan smiled but didn't look up from the owl.

"Yeah...I named him Vanoss."

Tyler nodded,

"Interesting."

Evan scoffed, shaking his head.

"M-my dad used to work on cars, and one of the pieces was called a vanos. It-it's stupid really."

Tyler wrapped an around him for a side hug, giggling.

"No, I think it's really cool!"

Evan giggled too, but when he realized Tyler's arm was around him he tensed. Tyler's smile faded and he cleared his throat, pulling his arm back.

"So, Evan, do you know where I work?"

Evan paused a moment, his eyebrows taut in question.

"No..."

Tyler nodded, partially relieved Evan answered at all.

"Well, I file papers for a therapy center. That means I work with people with mental disorders."

Evan glanced up at him, a curious glint in his eyes.

"Have you ever been diagnosed with a mental illness?"

Tyler knew the question was a bit invasive, but he honestly couldn't think of a better way to phrase it.

Evan seemed to hesitate for a moment before nodding slowly.

"Y-yes, depression."

Tyler nodded, taking a deep breath. He was already farther than he had expected to get.

"Did you get any help for it? Like medication, therapy...."

Tyler trailed off, watching Evan squirm uncomfortably before nodding.

"I...I went to a hospital."

His whisper was barely audible, and he began to tremble. Tyler placed a hand on the smaller's knee, rubbing it in calming circles.

"A mental hospital?"

Evan only nodded, tears filling his dark eyes.

"Were they nice to you there?"

Tyler knew most hospitals were great, but he had heard of a few that were flat out abusive to their patients. Evan nodded quickly.

"They were really nice. It helped me know that everyone goes through hard times. There was one girl, named Daisy, and she had Schizophrenia. She was really nice. She would sometimes tell me I had flowers in my hair or butterflies flying around me."

Evan giggled at the fond memory, staring at Tyler's hand on his knee with a smile. Tyler grinned as well, he was glad to have finally gotten Evan happy again. He let a happy silence fall over them before continuing.

"So...how about recently? Have you been feeling depressed again?"

Tyler hated watching the smile fade from Evan's face, but it pulled into a thoughtful expression.

"I...I guess. I didn't even realize it."

Evan stayed staring at Tyler's hand for a moment before looking up and locking eyes.

"I-Is that why you've been watching me more carefully?"

Tyler felt his heart hiccup at the question, and he tried to force the warmth on his cheeks back down.

_What do I say? Yes, but also because I have a massive crush on you! But what about what Craig said? Does Evan see me as a parental figure?_

"Yeah...sorry."

Tyler mumbled. Evan smiled, his eyes brighter but still dull.

"It's okay. Thanks for worrying about me."

Tyler nodded, and as Evan stood up probably to go turn on some tv, Tyler grabbed his arm not holding the stuffed owl.

"Actually, there is one more thing..."

Evan looked back at Tyler worriedly, and the taller tried to calm him back down with a smile. Although, he could feel the weight of the information on his heart.

"I got a call, it sounds like you finally got a real home."

Evan's face dropped and he collapsed back beside Tyler.

"W-what? Who?"

"Your uncle, William I believe. Do you know him?"

Evan was clutching the tattered bird tightly, his eyes wide as he stared at the floor.

"W-William? Who...which parent?"

"Fong."

Evan's face contorted into sadness and confusion.

"I never met my mom's brother. I didn't even know she had one."

He paused for a moment before taking a deep breath.

"I only met my grandparents once. They didn't agree with my mom about marrying my dad."

Tyler nodded, nudging Evan's chin up so they could lock eyes.

"I'm sure it'll be great. And you're moving back into your old house, so you get to stay here!"

Evan's eyes bugged out and he wrapped Tyler in a tight hug which he quickly reciprocated.

They both chuckled at his realization of not being separated, and Tyler felt his heart fill with joy. After holding each other for a while Evan pulled away, his chocolate eyes now glowing with excitement.

They stayed for a moment, just staring at each other. Tyler found his gaze fall on Evan's lips and he was brought back to New Year's Eve. The kiss had been accidental, but it still haunted Tyler's dreams, making him wish for there to be a second time.

" _Are you sure_?"

Craig's voice echoed in his head and Tyler sighed, not taking his eyes off Evan who seemed just as lost in his thoughts as himself.

_He's probably thinking about how he will be able to fix his life. I'm glad I could help him._

Tyler clenched his jaw, mentally preparing himself for the internal war that had been waged to come to an end.

_I'll be his mom friend. I already am for the rest of the guys, no need changing anything for Evan._

Tyler stood, startling Evan from his thoughts and tugging him to the living room.

"Now that that is over, we can watch some tv. How about some _Mythbusters_ and hot cocoa?"

Evan beamed, bouncing slightly.

"Yes!"

He chirped, the once again happy Evan music to his ears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I'm going on a school trip tomorrow, so that is why this chapter is getting posted late Tuesday instead of Wednesday. I don't come back until Sunday, so I will either get the next chapter out late Sunday or on Monday. Anyway, hope you enjoy the series so far! <3  
> ~ _Echo_


	22. Chapter 22 (Evan)

The week flew by way too fast, at least for Evan's tastes. What was that old saying, time flies when you're having fun? Well, Evan can now officially declare it true.

Talking with Tyler, even though he still had unrequited feelings for the taller teen, had made him feel a lot better. Tyler really did care for him, even if it wasn't the way Evan wanted it to be.

Tyler helped him move all his things back to his old house, using the hidden key hidden beneath a rock to get in. The place hadn't been touched since Evan had left, so they spent a day or two cleaning it up before bringing his things back to his room. It had been difficult, all the memories that floated around the house consisting of Evan and his mom practically choking him. But Tyler helped, making him laugh and hugged him when he needed it. He even let Evan keep Vanoss!

It was Friday when they got the last of his things situated into his old room, set up practically the same as before he left. Tyler took it upon himself to take care of Amy's room, leaving the majority of things alone so William could do what he wanted with the keepsakes. He did manage to find a photo album though, which Evan tucked into his bookshelf after staring at it with Tyler for hours. Tears and laughter graced the days. When Evan's last article of clothing was hung in his closet and he stepped back to see what he and Tyler had done, he felt a lump rise in his throat.

_I won't be living with Tyler anymore..._

He was going to miss the sweet breakfasts and friendly smile that greeted him every morning.

"Annnd we're done! Congrats Evan!"

Tyler chirped as he swung into Evan's room. Evan giggled, pulling Tyler into a quick hug before sitting on his bed. Tyler sat beside him, humming happily to the music that blasted from the radio in the kitchen.

"Are you excited to meet William tomorrow?"

The question surprised Evan, making him tilt his head in thought.

"I...I think so."

Evan paused for a moment, chewing on his bottom lip before saying,

"Actually, maybe not. What if he's as bad as my grandparents? What if he hurts me? What if-"

Tyler stopped him with a finger to his lips.

"No more 'what ifs', they never help. And if you're worried, then I'll be with you when he gets here. Is that okay?"

Evan blinked at the offer, then he sighed with a smile.

"Thanks."

Tyler ruffled his hair, a relaxed grin perched on his lips.

"Of course."

\--

The evening passed quickly, and Evan managed to convince Tyler (which was surprisingly not very difficult) to sleep with him in his old house. Evan fell asleep faster than he had in weeks and was woken up to one last, special breakfast of bacon, eggs, hashbrowns, and toast. The breakfast had been made at Tyler's before being brought back, all of the food at Evan's having been tossed out while they had cleaned up. Quiet music filtered from the radio and they watched more _Mythbusters_ cuddled together on the couch.

When the doorbell rang Evan felt his heart leap into his throat.

They looked at each other for a moment before Tyler smiled and stood up, pulling Evan to his feet.

"Ready?"

He asked quietly, turning the tv and radio off and making their way to the door. Evan felt like his heart was going to pound out of his chest, but swallowed and nodded. Tyler nodded, motioning with his hands for Evan to take deep breaths before opening the door.

A tall, slender man stood at the door, his hair slicked back and wearing a business suit. His coal-colored eyes burned into Evan.

"Hello, Evan, I assume?"

The man said, his hands not moving from behind his back. Evan could only nod, so Tyler butted into the conversation.

"Hello sir, I am Tyler, the one who has been helping take care of Evan. Why don't you come inside?"

Tyler and Evan stepped out of the way, letting the gentleman inside.

He didn't look much older than 23.

He walked inside, observing the kitchen and living room around him before turning back to Evan and Tyler.

"I am William, but you can call me Will. I apologize for not reaching out sooner but your mother kept limited communication with our family. It took awhile for news to reach us."

Although he spoke of his sister's death, Evan noticed Will's face never changed or showed even an ounce of grief.

There was an awkward moment of silence before Tyler coughed to break it.

"Well, I guess I'm no longer needed. I'll be heading home now. Bye Evan!"

Tyler collected what few things he had brought and waved a goodbye to Evan, who let him out of the house. When Evan turned back to Will, the man was glaring at him with a scowl. Evan swallowed, then smiled. Maybe he could try to get to know Will?

"So, what do you like to do for fun?"

Evan asked sheepishly, the air tense.

The room was silent until Will picked Evan up by the collar, the teen freezing in place as shock filled his body.

"Listen here **cunt** ,"

When he enunciated the 't', spit splattered Evan's face.

"I've lived on the streets for years because my damn parents always thought of me as a failure. Now I finally get a chance to change that; get a job and own a house, maybe even get a girlfriend."

Will paused, Evan breathing in short gasps as his hands shook.

"So you will **not** fuck this up. Do you understand?"

Evan was still frozen in fear and didn't even blink until Will shook him like a ragdoll.

"Speak, faggot!"

"Y-Yes..."

Evan gasped, collapsing to his knees when Will dropped him. William straightened his suit as Evan curled into a ball, staring at his uncle.

"Stand up."

He snapped, fear making the teen stand up almost instantly.

"Do you have a shed?"

Evan could only nod in response.

"Good, that is where you will be sleeping."

"W-What?"

Evan gaped, unable to stop the words before they fell from his tongue. Will glared at him.

"You heard me! I am not dealing with a fucking kid who leaves his shit everywhere. The shed will be your new room and you will follow these rules."

The suited man opened his suit to reach into a pocket before pulling out a paper and handing it to Evan. It read,

 

_**RULES** _

_1\. I am not your parent or guardian, I am merely your landlord._

_2\. DO NOT bother me before 7:00 am or after 9:00 pm_

_3\. Don't come into the house without permission_

_4\. Knock only for food or the bathroom_

_5\. There is a hose to shower with and for water_

_6\. Put dirty clothes in the basket and I will wash them for you_

_7\. I can do what I please, you may not object or else..._

_8\. Punishments are my own and if you contact authorities you will die_

 

Evan stared frozen at the paper for what felt like an eternity before Will pulled it away and tucked it back into his suit.

"You have until seven tonight to move your stuff from your room to the shed. I advise cleaning out the shed first. I will hang this inside the shed so you will not forget the rules. There will be a basket by the back door for your laundry. When your things are washed I will put them in your shed, so I want you to have a place for me to put them."

Will was counting things off his fingers and staring at the wall, but smirked and turned back to Evan.

"And I would not mind if you stopped contacting me one day."

He paused, smirking at Evan before clapping his hands together and making Evan jump.

"Well! Better get started at that shed, you're running out of time until you will never see that room again."

Evan nodded hurriedly, running toward the back door and opening it with shaky hands. The yard was full of patchy areas of overgrown grass and piles of snow that Evan wove through to get to the shed. It was a bit old, but it was gratefully updated from when they had moved in at the beginning of the year. It was fairly empty (thankfully), with only a wheelbarrow, a shovel, and a couple rusty tools. The wheelbarrow was too heavy for Evan to move, and he doubted he could move his bed into the shed, so he decided he would make the wheelbarrow his bed. After moving as much as he could into boxes for his clothes and books left over from moving, Evan stared at the sunset with tears in his eyes and trembling hands. He still had a box of books and clothes in his room, but he was holding Vanoss and the photo album. He jumped at the sound of William behind him, turning to look away from the sunset.

"Well Evan, it looks like your time is up. If you're good, I might bring you what you left in your room. Goodnight."

Will slammed the door in Evan's face, leaving the teen to walk slowly back to the shed as he heaved for breath. He could feel a panic attack setting in and locked the door to his new room as soon as he stepped inside. With no insulation, Evan was shivering from the outside cold as the sun descended and used what light remained to climb into the wheelbarrow full of pillows and blankets. He clutched Vanoss tightly as sobs wretched their way from his throat, the realization of what had happened that day fully setting in.

_First the bullies and now this..._

Since school had gotten back in, the news had spread about what had happened to Evan's parents and how he was living with his friend.

He had been stopped numerous times by students he'd never met before, all of which shoved him against the wall and teased him before beating him up. The first time, Evan had been running late to his History class and had managed to get seperated from Craig.

\--

Evan blinked in surprise when he was shoved against the wall, looking up to see students he'd never seen before pinning him against the wall.

"You the cunt whose mum tried to kill you but ended up killing herself?"

Evan blinked at the thickly accented question, and the shock of what it accused.

"W-What?"

Evan choked out eventually. One of the students slapped Evan, leaving the teen to hold his face in pain.

"He asked you a question!"

One of the other students spat as Evan looked back up.

"M-my mom didn't mean to die!"

Evan cried out, trying and failing to keep the fear out of his voice.

"Oi, he thinks he's brave!"

One of the students scoffed, shoving Evan hard against the wall.

"You a brave cunt?"

Another student teased, punching Evan in the arm. He let out a cry of pain, only provoking the teens more.

When they finished Evan had to hide a black eye and at least three bruises.

They only grew more frequent through the week.

\--

"Mom..."

Evan cried quietly, tears blinding him as the last of the sun's rays went down.

"I miss you..."


	23. Chapter 23 (Tyler)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **_A/N- This chapter contains references to abuse and cutting_ **

February 11th, Friday. Four weeks after Evan moved in with William. Monday was Valentine's Day, so all the couples and crushes would be getting each other flowers or giant teddy bears. Tyler had heavily debated on getting Evan something, but he already had no money. Besides, he was set on just being the parental figure Evan would need. However, Evan did have his uncle now...maybe he should get Kelly something?

Tyler ran a hand through his hair, smoothing it as he entered Biology.

Who was he kidding? He couldn't even afford a pack of gum now that his rent had jumped.

He placed his things down, smiling when Kelly took her seat next to him.

"Sup Ty, how's your day been so far?"

She asked casually, leaning back in her chair.

She was cute, obviously, but she didn't make his heart flip like Evan did.

_It's better this way. I've known Kelly as long as Anthony and she's really cool, maybe it could work out?_

"It's been pretty good, how about you?"

Tyler responded, turning to give her his full attention. If he was going to ask her out at some point, he had to go back to his old (kinda flirty) self. Kelly raised an eyebrow at his movement and smirked.

"You know, same-old-same-old."

She shrugged, not taking her eyes off him. Tyler grinned and gestured to the air nonchalantly.

"So, Valentine's Day is Monday, getting anyone anything?"

Kelly twirled her hand in the air and rolled her eyes.

"I don't know, might get Simone or Sami somthin'."

She then turned her gaze back to Tyler, her smirk growing.

"What about you?"

Tyler felt a slight blush touch his cheeks, but scoffed before smirking.

"Not sure, but I have someone in mind."

He winked and Kelly giggled. It didn't hold the same charm as Evan's.

\--

Class sped through, and before Tyler could even blink it was lunchtime.

He was walking through the streams of students and paused at the door to wait for Evan. It took him a moment to spot the smaller teen, but then the pale green jacket with the owl etched to the back rounded the corner. The hood was pulled up, covering the face of the owner as he neared Tyler.

"Evan!"

Tyler called, waving him over. Evan glanced up from under the hood, giving Tyler a small smile as he neared.

"Hey Ty,"

He whispered, his voice rough from use. Tyler frowned, walking them to the table.

"What happened to your voice?"

Evan shrugged, his jacket seeming baggier than before.

"Got sick I guess. Not sick enough to stay home though!"

He chuckled dryly, his face cringing in pain from the action. Tyler hummed in agreement, glancing worriedly at Evan as they sat down.

The teen had seemed to shrink since he moved in with his uncle, the jacket looking two sizes too big. He also rarely put his hood down, saying how he 'felt cold' when asked about it. Evan's appetite seemed about the same though, however, there had been more days when he hadn't finished the school lunches than when he had.

Evan paled when he started eating, and after a couple moments of everyone sitting at the table he stood up, startling everyone.

"Sorry, I'm going to throw up..."

He managed to croak before hurrying toward the bathrooms. The guys stared after him in shock before Tyler stood.

"I'm going to check on him."

Some of them nodded, tentatively returning to their food like they expected someone else to go shooting out the door. Tyler jogged to the nearest bathrooms, hearing Evan retching as he neared. He walked slowly around the corner, the vomiting seemingly finished as a shaky Evan stumbled from a stall. The automatic toilet flushed behind him, and he leaned against a sink, splashing some water onto his face.

"You okay?"

Tyler asked gently, biting his cheek in worry. Evan glanced up, smiling weakly before turning back to the sink and staring at it for a while.

"I guess I _am_ sick..."

He choked out, chuckling before cringing with a cough. Tyler's frown grew and he took a few steps closer to Evan.

"Maybe you should go home, you could feel-"

"NO!"

Both of them jumped from Evan's outburst, and the smaller's grip tightened on the counter.

"N-no...I'm fine."

Evan coughed out. Tyler stared at him with wide eyes. His hood had flown off with his scream and now Tyler could see dark bruises on Evan's cheek and neck. Evan must've noticed his staring as he turned to the mirror before quickly pulling his hood back on.

"E-Evan, what happened?"

Tyler stuttered, shock making the hair on the back of his neck stand up. Evan turned away from him and let go of the sink, stumbling before regaining his balance and staring at the wall. He ran a hand over his arm.

"I said I-I'm fine. Let's go back to lunch."

Evan tried to walk past Tyler, but the taller teen grabbed Evan's arm.

"No, you're telling me what happened."

Tyler instructed, meeting the fire in Evan's eyes. After a moment, Evan's glare faltered and he collapsed to his knees, a scratchy sob slicing the air.

"I'm sorry! I-I really tried! I tried so hard..."

He folded into himself, crying as he pulled his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms around his legs. Tyler knelt beside him, rubbing soothing circles into his back.

"What happened?"

He pressed quietly. Evan cried harder for a minute before lifting his red eyes to Tyler's.

"I...I broke a rule. He...he _told_ me not to bother him after n-nine, but...but I needed help with my math!"

Evan's voice was fading from a croak to a whisper, and it cracked harshly at his last word.

"Who?"

Tyler asked, anger and concern bubbling inside him. Evan's gaze turned from Tyler to the wall behind him, and he seemed to be losing himself in his memories. He opened his mouth several times before closing it again, a mental war fighting behind his dark eyes.

"Will."

He finally whispered, looking back at Tyler. The taller teen blinked before hugging Evan.

"No! Nonononononono..."

Evan suddenly whined, making Tyler flinch away. When he had hugged Evan, he had lifted one of the smaller teen's sleeves, revealing the skinny arm underneath. Evan was frantically forcing the sleeves back down, but the damage had already been done.

"Ev..."

Tyler trailed off, feeling tears prick his eyes as it finally registered what he had seen. Evan was shaking his head, tears flowing down his cheeks as he let out another sob.

"No...no you didn't see...you...you don't..."

Evan didn't finish, instead huddling back into his ball and sobbing again. Tyler paused, then pulled Evan's sleeves up, looking at the scarred arms as Evan continued to wallow.

"How long?"

Tyler pressed gently, running his thumb delicately over the ragged scars that lined Evan's forearm. Some had scar tissue over them, most were red or pink, and some were even still bleeding. He had seen Evan in short sleeves at home, and none of these marks ruined his perfect skin then.

"A w-week a-after Will came."

Evan whispered shakily, not lifting his head from his knees. Tyler wanted to lift Evan's tear-soaked face and kiss him. Tell him he would make everything better. Kiss each slice so Evan would know how much he was loved even after he had done that.

But he could only do one of those things.

"It's okay. You're okay Evan."

Tyler cooed, bringing Evan's frail body close and hugging him tightly. He held him for a while, Evan still crying before Tyler began to hum his song. The soft melody from the childish tune about a star danced around the bathroom, interweaving its way around the two teens.

Neither of them heard the student that poked his head into the bathroom, his green streaked hair being brushed from his eyes as he looked at the scene in front of him. He quickly backed away, realizing he was no longer close enough to the crying student to be of any help.

He grimaced in regret as he headed further down the hall for a different bathroom.

Evan quieted eventually, letting Tyler soothe him. Tyler, however, was trying to brainstorm ideas to be able to help Evan.

He couldn't bring Evan back to his apartment. He wouldn't even be able to live there himself in another week.

The rent had jumped when the owner had discovered his dad had passed, making Tyler pay more for keeping his secret from CPS. But Tyler could already barely afford the place, and now there was no way he could pay any bills.

He was being kicked out on Sunday.

Tyler sighed, brushing those thoughts away. He'd worry about his place later.

"Better Evan?"

He asked, smiling when he felt Evan nod against him.

"Do you want to go back to the table?"

There was a pause before Evan shook his head. Tyler nodded, holding Evan tighter until the bell rang.

"We have to go now,"

He cooed, gently nudging the smaller away.

"Come home with me!"

Evan suddenly blurted, throwing a hand over his mouth like he hadn't meant to whisper out the plea. Tyler blinked at the outburst, then placed a hand on Evan's shoulder.

"Do you want me to go home with you today?"

Evan shook his head.

"N-no! You...you'll hate me..."

Tyler couldn't hold back to scoff that resulted from the comment, making Evan glance up in confusion.

"I could never hate you Ev. Besides, I'll just stay over for tonight. You can kick me out as soon as the sun hits the sky."

Evan shook his head again, although not as aggressively.

Tyler sighed, then smiled hopefully.

"Please?"

They locked eyes for a moment, then Evan's eyes teared up again and he looked away.

"Okay..."

He whispered, barely audible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _You watch the blood drip from the torn steel, the same makeshift blade that tore off your jacket…_
> 
> **_“4 chapters left…”_ **


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **_A/N- This chapter contains cutting_ **

He was alone.

He tried to look around, but the scenery was the same in every direction: pitch blackness.

He felt tears streak his face, and a new bruise was forming below his eye, the memory of Will driving his fist toward his terrified gaze fresh on his mind.

His legs gave out and he collapsed, his hands gripping the smooth, icy ground as he tried to steady himself. He clenched his eyes shut, forcing more tears out before opening them again.

A knife stared back at him.

The blade was perfect and silver, the handle a deep mahogany.

He sat back on his feet, picking the knife up with shaking hands.

He turned the blade over in his hands, seeing his ruined expression staring back at him.

"Useless."

Evan lifted his eyes from the knife to the creature in front of him.

It looked like it was made of ink, or maybe melting wax. It was pitch black, blending into the surrounding darkness except for its bright yellow eyes. The golden eyes were narrowed at Evan, and when it opened its crooked mouth, dagger-sharp teeth dripped with saliva and fresh blood.

"That's all you are. Useless."

The creature snapped again, quickly joined by a similar monster.

"Pitiful."

It spat.

"Disgusting."

"Disappointing."

"Careless."

More creatures surrounded him, all screeching negativities like arrows at Evan.

"Pitiful."

Spat the second monster again, the voices quieting as the first one stepped forward.

Its face was melting off, but it looked like the mangled remains of a dragon head, a serpent tongue flicking out towards Evan, droplets of blood flecking his features.

"Useless."

The creature growled again, it's cold breath making Evan shiver as it puffed in his face.

It smelled like rotting flesh and smoke.

"That's all you are. All you ever will be. Useless. A waste of space."

Evan clenched his eyes shut and clamped his ears with his hands.

He didn't want to hear the voices.

"You can't blot out the truth. Why would so many believe it if it was a lie? You know what those students said. They weren't bullies, they were saying what everyone was thinking. Why do you think nobody stopped them? Why do you think they stepped over your pitiful body as you cried? You're useless."

Evan was trembling, more tears sliding down his face, but instead of warmth, they felt like daggers slicing up his cheeks.

He was pitiful.

The voices began to chant, but it was so many different curses Evan couldn't pick one to listen to. He felt overwhelmed.

He was disappointing.

The voices grew louder, and he could hear them laughing at him now.

He was disgusting.

"You hear them? You hear how many agree? You should kill yourself! Nobody will miss you! Tie those stupid knots and fucking end the pain!"

Evan flinched at the swear.

He was careless.

"END IT! EVERYONE IS COUNTING DOWN THE SECONDS UNTIL YOU'RE GONE. MAKE THEM HAPPY AND DIE!"

Evan wanted to scream, tell the voices that he wasn't, but he couldn't stop the sobs ripping open his throat.

He was useless.

Evan had his eyes forced open and saw the knife by his feet.

He had heard of cutting, how people used it to take the pain away, but he'd never done it.

He knew it was a bad thing to do.

"YOU'RE USELESS! YOU CANT EVEN DO WHAT EVERYONE WANTS YOU TO DO!"

But it took the pain away...

Evan picked up the knife shakily, the voices all still screaming, chanting, ruining him.

He pressed the knife against his left arm and dragged it down, feeling a dull pain but nothing more. The voices quieted for a moment before returning, and Evan gasped.

Quickly, he pressed the knife down harder, slicing open a thin, bloody line across his arm. The voices went silent for a moment, before returning.

Were they quieter?

Evan did it again.

And again.

And again.

Each bloody line seemed to kill a voice, leaving him in blissful silence before the others returned.

When he ran out of room he moved to his right arm.

He cut until only one voice remained, the melting dragon beginning to run away.

"I'LL BE BACK EVAN, YOU HAVEN'T WON!"

Before he vanished. Evan looked down at his arms, and the amount of blood streaming down his limbs terrified him.

He let out a panicked shriek before everything went dark.

**

"Evan! Evan, wake up! It's just a dream!"

Evan's eyes snapped open and he sat up, body trembling as he looked down at his arms.

Only scars showed the dream had been a partial memory.

Hands wiped tears he didn't know he had away, and warm arms held him tightly.

"You're okay. I'm here."

Tyler calmed, Evan taking deeper breaths.

It took him a moment to register where he was, curled beside Tyler on an actual bed instead of a wheelbarrow.

Evan would be lying if he said this was the first time he had woken up like this. Ever since Tyler had moved into the shed, Evan had roughly woken him up with night terrors.

—

When Tyler had first arrived at Evan's house and the shorter teen brought him through the gate to the shed, he looked confused and upset. Maybe upset was too passive, pissed sounded about right.

Evan could already tell he was going to regret bringing the teen over to his house, and how Tyler would probably never talk to him again.

"Evan, how long has William been making you sleep out here?"

He had asked sternly, glaring at Evan when he opened the door. Evan had stared at his feet.

"S-since he got here. He made me move my things in as soon as you left."

Tyler huffed, taking a few steps in and looking around the small building. Evan saw him read the rules nailed on the wall with disgust, and he stared at his "bed" for a while.

"Are you sleeping in a wheelbarrow?"

He had asked, glancing up at Evan. Evan couldn't look up and meet his eyes.

"Y-yes. I...I couldn't move it, and my bed wouldn't fit in here, so I...I decided...."

Evan couldn't finish, his hands shaking as the voices crowed about how pathetic he was.

A quick motion made him look up, just in time to see Tyler pull him into a hug.

"Ev, don't cry. This is not your fault. We just have to call CPS and tell them-"

"NO!"

Evan shrieked, shoving Tyler away from him and staring at the other teen with wide, terrified eyes.

A curtain to the house shifted slightly as it opened a crack.

"You can't! He-he'll _kill_ me! He'll kill _you_! We can't tell anyone!"

Tyler huffed disbelievingly and gestured to the rules on the wall.

"What? You believe this? He's trying to scare you into doing what he says. He won't, and can't, hurt you; let alone kill anyone. I promise you'll be fine."

Evan felt his legs give out as Tyler pulled his phone out.

He was losing it.

His heart was pounding, his mind whirling, and breath leaving his body.

He was gasping for air, his throat restricting and limbs weakening as panic forced its way into his bloodstream.

He knew he would.

William would find out.

Then he'd die.

He knew he would.

He knew William would.

He'd seen him do it before.

Memories of the Girl Scout flashed through his mind, the word "WARNING" scrawled in blood across the paper that was duct taped to her body.

The police never found the culprit.

But he had shown the corpse to Evan like a prize.

William knew what to do and how to do it.

He had experience.

Evan didn't want to know how.

Evan didn't want to know.

Evan didn't-

 

Tyler was holding him, quietly singing his song.

Memories of his mother washed over his stressed mind, the tension leaving his body.

She was smiling, giggling even as she brought out the cake for his birthday.

He couldn't remember which one, but he remembered her happy.

"Happy birthday Evan!"

She chirped, her eyes glowing.

Evan was happy.

He could feel her hugging him, humming his song as they cut the cake. That memory warped, changing to him being carried on the shoulders of his father. He was giggling his lungs out, his dad laughing as he swept his arms back.

He felt like he was flying, a large smile widening his face.

His mom stood on the edge of the sidewalk, a camera up to her eye as she captured photos.

He could feel love well up in his heart, banishing the panic to hide away in the shadows of his mind.

 

Evan's breathing calmed, and the curtain twitched closed.

Tyler didn't mention calling CPS or anyone for the rest of the time he was there.

He did, however, help him clean up the shed and get the wheelbarrow out.

Evan managed to convince him to not try and go into the house, instead going back to his house to bring a bed.

Evan had tried to refuse, but Tyler insisted.

Tyler visited him at home every day after school, even coming over for Saturdays and Sundays. Tyler would bring things from his house, making sure Evan had everything he could ever want to stay happy.

Evan eventually found a folded letter in a desk Tyler had brought in, reading it while Tyler grabbed snacks.

What it said made his heart fall.

"Tyler?"

He had called, the taller teen glancing at him as he placed bread and chips into a box labeled "pantry".

"Yeah?"

Tyler looked at the note in Evan's hand and paled.

"How long have you not been able to pay your bills?"

Evan asked tentatively. He was worried about the answer.

Tyler sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"Listen, it's not your fault. The owner was just being-"

"How long?"

Evan snapped, glaring at Tyler and ignoring the tears that welled in his eyes. Tyler stared at him sadly before looking away.

"Since you moved away."

Tyler rolled his shoulder and Evan felt his grip tighten on the paper until his knuckles were white.

"Tell me the truth."

Evan demanded, his voice shaking as bad as his hands.

"Since you moved in with me!"

Tyler shouted, looking at Evan exasperatedly.

"My wage wasn't enough to handle the food I bought to feed you. I missed a payment. I was able to pay it afterward but I was already behind. Then the apartment owner found out my dad was dead and raised the payment so that he wouldn't call CPS on me."

When he stopped, it looked like he wanted Evan to say something, but the smaller was at a loss for words. Tyler sighed before continuing, his tone softer.

"It wasn't your fault. I just wanted to keep you happy and I made a mistake. Now I live in my car, and you get to have all my old furniture. Everyone's happy."

He said the last comment like he believed it, and it broke his heart. Tyler wasn't really happy, Evan could tell. When the shorter didn't answer Tyler sighed again, looking around the shed.

They had made lots of progress on it, and it looked more like a small house than a shed.

 

Blankets were draped over the walls, creating a bit of insulation. The bed Evan had used at Tyler's was pressed into the back right corner, with a nightstand at its shoulder.

Tyler hadn't found the knife Evan had hidden inside.

He hadn't used it since Tyler had begun helping him, but he kept it just in case.

At the foot of the bed, a large, overstuffed pig sat with a small owl on its back.

An L-desk was in the back left corner, one drawer full of pens, pencils, and markers with another one full of paper.

Drawings Evan had done were thumbtacked onto the wall, decorating the desk area with landscapes and owls.

Near the front of the shed and to the left was a fridge, plugged into an extension cord that was connected to an outside outlet. A box was placed on top of the small fridge, labeled "pantry" and full of assorted breads and snacks.

To the front right was a table with the tv from Tyler's place on top, and behind it was a box of plastic utensils, plates and cups.

Evan shakily sat on the bed, making Tyler look back at him.

"Y-you live in your car?"

Evan asked finally, looking up at Tyler. The taller teen seemed confused at the question, but shrugged.

"Yeah, got nowhere else."

Evan looked back at the floor, before muttering,

"You could...if you wanted to...you could live here..."

Evan glanced back up, and he and Tyler had locked eyes. They stared at each other for a moment before Tyler scoffed.

"No, I won't bother you with my presence. Besides, I like my car and-"

"Please? After all you've done for me, I want to help you."

Evan begged, cutting Tyler off. Blue eyes met brown, and the blonde smiled sheepishly.

"Alright, sure. It's a good thing that bed is made for two people."

A small smile wormed its way to Evan's face, and they quickly got to making Tyler as comfortable as possible.

—

That had been a couple weeks ago, and now it was Sunday, March 6th.

Tyler had released Evan after he calmed down, and was now pulling a pear from the fridge.

"Breakfast?"

Tyler asked gently, walking back and handing Evan the fruit. Evan took it, but just stared at the pear in his hands.

The morning of being thrown back into those memories, of everything the two had done together to get the shed perfect, had Evan realize how much Tyler had done for him.

The bed dipped beside him, and an arm was draped over his shoulders.

"You okay?"

Tyler asked. Evan didn't say anything, just put the pear on the bed and envelope the taller in his arms.

"Thank you."

He mumbled, burrowing his head into the crook of his neck. Tyler's arms soon pulled him closer, but the taller teen scoffed.

"For what?"

"For everything."

Evan said, his voice cracking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _You look up at the bodies of the people that brought you here, their faces twisted in pain and fear…_
> 
> _**“3 chapters left…”** _


	25. Chapter 25 (Ryan and Craig)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **_A/N- This chapter contains drug use, severe abuse, and mentions of abortion_ **

(Ryan)

School ended with stupidly easy tests and the crying of people who don't know how to tie their own fucking shoes.

Ryan was finally out of the retard classes, full of kids his age but definitely not his intellect level.

Some of the guys had thief birthdays in March, April, and May, including Marcel, Jonathan, and Brian, so they spent a couple nights partying instead of studying.

Not that Ryan needed to anyway.

Then, after school ended, Evan, David, Scotty, Brock and himself were able to celebrate.

Almost all of the parties were at Brian's, except for David and Marcel who had it at their own houses. Nobody got many presents, it was their friend's presence that mattered.

Over the summer, they hung out; swimming at the local pool, hanging at the park or staying over at Brian's.

But of course, all good things must come to an end. Sophomore year began, forcing all those unprepared into a frenzied chaos.

The guys were lucky enough to claim their same table as last year, but Tyler began sitting with a different every other day, apparently visiting his girlfriend. That news had Craig blinking in confusion and Marcel fuming, while the rest of the guys gave him a smile and a pat on the back.

Around September Brock sent a text to the group chat. It said,

"Thanks for giving me a group of friends to hang out with, but I'm done with my dad. Later."

That had been Sunday, and on Monday everybody was panicking, especially when Brock didn't show up for school at all. Tyler had missed his time with Kelly trying to soothe the nerves of the group, but he seemed to be calming himself just as much as everyone else.

Ryan, even though he buried his emotions from view, was terrified of what had happened.

Brock had talked to him more than anyone else in the group, as they were both more or less outsiders. Ryan knew what Brock's dad did, and about his brother Smitty.

He could only hope the worst hadn't happened.

Thankfully, the teen was found about a month later by none other than Ryan himself.

He had been at McDonald's, working his new job when a tattered Brock stumbled in with a couple folded dollars.

"Jus' a burger and a water cup please."

He mumbled, not even looking up at Ryan. The smaller blinked before whispering,

"Brock?"

The taller teen looked up, meeting Ryan's hazel eyes with his dull green ones. Alcohol was on his breath, and his hair was matted. Several smudges of mud and oil patched his skin and clothes.

"Oh shit...s-sorry. I knew I should've gone to the one across town. I-I was just too lazy and I've...fuck."

Brock stumbled over his words, pulling the money back into his pocket before Ryan placed a hand on his, stopping it.

"No, you mister are staying here. I'll get us both some food and then we're having a chat."

Brock looked up and they locked eyes before the taller sighed.

"Fine. Hurry up."

Ryan nodded, then after telling his boss he was going on a lunch break, grabbed both of them some food. Ryan sat across from Brock, who eagerly took his sandwich and ate it in a matter of minutes.

When he finished Ryan smiled softly.

"So, not eaten anything for a while huh?"

Brock froze, swallowing what remained of his sandwich before frowning.

"You'd be surprised how much harder living on the streets is. I snatched that money from some lady's purse."

Ryan sighed, pushing his burger toward Brock.

He wasn't hungry anyway.

"So, what happened?"

Ryan asked after Brock finished the second one too.

Brock sighed, resting his head in his hands.

"My dad. He finally did it. He finally took away my reason for staying with him."

Ryan felt a chill slide down his spine, and paused before asking,

"Is Smitty okay?"

Brock scoffed, but a tear slipped out.

"No. He's dead. He's fucking dead Ryan!"

Brock pounded his fist on the table, making a few customers glance at them in worry. Ryan smiled apologetically, then turned back to Brock.

"Calm down. It's too late to do anything about it."

They sat in silence for a moment before Ryan asked,

"Do you have a place to stay?"

Brock scoffed again, but his face twisted into a scowl.

"Of fucking course not. I'm sleeping in a damn cardboard box and eating trash. Why do you think I look like shit?"

Brock glared at Ryan, but Ryan held his stare with confidence. He was the only one the intimidating didn't work on.

Brock growled, but looked away. Ryan sighed, rubbing his temples.

"Just at least contact Marcel. You know he'll give you a place to stay and even keep your secret if you want him to."

Brock frowned, but rolled his eyes before pulling his phone out.

"Fuck it."

Ryan raised an eyebrow at the phone before asking,

"Didn't your dad turn it off?"

Brock laughed before saying,

"No! He's too fucking stupid to remember shit like that."

Ryan scoffed, then watched as Brock typed a message out before placing his phone down.

"There."

Ryan's phone buzzed, and he looked to see a message from Brock in the group chat. He glanced at Brock with a raised eyebrow, who smirked at him before sipping his drink.

Ryan opened the text, seeing a picture of himself with his confused expression with the words,

"Hide and seek is over, this handsome boi found me."

Ryan blushed, but scowled while Brock burst out into laughter.

"You got so red! Ha!"

His laughter quickly died as both of their phones exploded with messages.

Everyone was asking where Brock had disappeared to and if he was doing well. Neither of them responded.

Brock sighed, flipping his phone over so he couldn't see the messages.

"Guess I'll talk to Marcel later."

Ryan nodded, sipping his own drink before Brock tilted his head in question.

"Wait a second, how long have you been working here?"

Ryan chuckled, putting his drink down before shrugging.

"About a week. I need more money to buy food for my siblings."

Brock lifted an eyebrow leaning back in his chair.

"Siblings huh? The same ones who bullied you while your _parents_ fucked all the time?"

Brock put parents in air quotes, making Ryan scoff before sighing.

"Yeah. Same ones. Finally punched some sense into them. Turns out they're not a bunch of turds when they're respectful."

Brock smiled, but it faded pretty quickly. Suddenly he scoffed.

"Both of our lives are pretty shitty, aren't they?"

Ryan scoffed too, nodding slowly as he sipped his drink.

His mind drifted to 7th grade, back to when he finally stood up against his mom. Sure, he was insanely smart, but her forcing him into every advanced course available just created more stress than he needed. So, when she kicked him out of her house for "not dealing with a failure", he was pretty excited to get a new house and family. Then, of course, he got shoved into a shitty household of nonstop fucking parents and rude ass kids. They were younger than him too! He finally got tired of their attitude and asserted his dominance only a couple months ago.

Now life seemed to be cruising at an okay level.

He nodded.

"It's pretty shit for all of us in our group: you and I, Scotty, Jon, and Craig all have parental problems too, Marcel and whatever the shit happened in 6th grade, Tyler and Evan with basically their entire fucking families dying. The only ones who seem fine are Brian and David."

Brock huffed, taking a long drink from his cup before slamming it down.

"Only Brian. David left an abusive dad."

Ryan lifted an eyebrow in interest as to how Brock knew this, but the other teen wasn't even looking at him.

"Fucking Brian. Why does he get a fucking easy life?"

Brock mumbled the question, and Ryan doubted he was supposed to hear it.

"Why? He had everything he could ever fucking want. And what do I get? A brain aneurysm in my mom, a drunk druggy for a dad, and a sweet ass, dead fucking brother."

Brock paused before slamming his drink on the table, making dark soda splash everywhere.

Customers stared at the two before Ryan stood to clean it.

"S-sorry. I...I lost my temper."

Brock apologized, standing up. Ryan sighed and pushed him back down.

"Just stay here. Text Marcel where you are and tell him to pick you up. Trust me, it'll help."

Brock looked up at him for a moment, his expression unreadable before sighing.

"Fine."

The taller teen mumbled, picking up his phone. Ryan nodded contentedly, then went to the closet to find a mop.

 

***

 

(Craig)

Craig stared at his phone, hoping to see a response from either Brock or Ryan in the group chat, but neither had said anything.

He sighed in exasperation.

He was sitting in his room, reading Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix again when he had gotten the text. His mom had gone out for groceries, and his dad had been off at work. In fact, the office he worked for had been so busy the past week his dad had gone straight to bed as soon as he got home.

Craig hadn't needed to cover up any new bruises.

Craig returned to his book, not realizing how late it was until he heard the door open. He checked the clock, seeing it read 9:34 pm. He tilted his head in question. Usually now would be the time his dad would be getting back, but his mom hadn't come home yet. He got off his bed and walked toward the kitchen.

"Mom?"

He called out. He was answered with a sob.

He hurried to the kitchen, seeing his mom crying and collapsed in a heap on the floor. In one of her hands was a strange-looking cigarette and in the other a glass bottle of clear liquid.

"M-mom?"

He asked again, his voice quivering as his eyes widened.

His mom glanced up at him, her eyes bloodshot and tears streaming down her cheeks.

"He's gone!"

She yelled at him, making Craig jump.

"Wh-who?"

He asked quietly, trying to stop his hands from shaking.

"Who do you think?"

She screamed, forcing herself to stand on wobbly legs.

"Your father! He's dead!"

She sobbed for a bit longer, although Craig had stopped shaking.

He was...gone?

Were they free?

He gave his mother a small smile, resting a hand on her arm.

"In a car crash! Just...poof! Gone!"

She was wailing, her head falling to and fro like it was too heavy for her to hold up.

"A-at least he's gone, right? We've been wanting this for a while..."

His mom fell silent as she stared at him, her eyes wide before in one swift motion, she backhanded him with the hand holding the rolled up drug. Craig felt shock spike through his body and he held his hurt face.

"Don't EVER speak like that again you twat!"

She spat, smacking him again. Tears welled up in Craig's eyes and he tried to take a step away from her only to trip over his own feet.

"You're even clumsy!"

She drawled, her words growing more blurred together as she took another swig from her bottle.

It reminded Craig of the one Brock had at the New Year's Eve party.

She kicked him, making him shout in pain which only provoked her.

"You're a useless kid! Can't do anything right! I was wrong! Your father was right! Should've got an abortion. He told me to but I said no! That you'd be wonderful! I WAS SO FUCKING WRONG!"

Her screams filled the night, his cries fading away like they had with his father.

Only now there was nobody to comfort him.

Tears coated his face as he tried his best to protect his head and chest. Blow after blow was landing on his back and legs, the heels of her high heels digging into his clothing and skin and ripping them both.

Craig passed out from the pain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Their echoing screams are music to your ears…_
> 
> _**“2 chapters left…”** _


	26. Chapter 26 (Marcel and Evan)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for these last few chapters being more summary than story, I couldn't come up with a better way to describe what was happening. Hope you enjoy!  
> ~ _Echo_

Marcel sighed as he got off the bus.

It was junior year, and classes were escalating for college. The only ones who weren't stressed to Venus and back were Ryan, Jonathan, and David. Mainly because the latter two were in advanced classes, but also because Ryan never seemed stressed about anything school-related.

Brock still hadn't returned to school, but he had started living with Marcel.

Marcel had gotten used to Brock's threats, and had even grown taller than the grouchy teen. Then again, a lot of the guys had. The previously tallest of the group was now tied for shortest, with Jonathan being the same height as him.

As Marcel walked into his house, he saw Ms. Whiler, his 76-year-old adoptive grandparent, preparing dinner. Brock was standing beside her, trying to help her cook. Marcel smiled at the two, dropping his things off in his room to start homework. Ms. Whiler was wonderful to them both, and although legally she was both their adoptive parent, she enjoyed being called a grandparent having never had any children of her own. That did make Brock and Marcel legal siblings, but Brock had once told Marcel he didn't want another brother after Smitty.

Brock had told Marcel what had happened, to which Ms. Whiler helped translate Marcel's sign language for him. When he finished, Marcel empathized.

It didn't take long for Brock to begin asking what had happened in 6th grade that made Marcel mute.

Marcel hadn't told the police.

Or Ms. Whiler.

He wasn't about to tell Brock.

The shorter teen had, of course, begged for information, but Marcel just walked away.

He knew his dreams would drag him back to that night.

—

Marcel had grown up with a loveless family, an abusive father, and fretting mother.

His mom went to a lawyer and divorced his dad, taking full custody of Marcel and filing a restraining order to make sure his dad could get nowhere near them.

After returning to home from school, Marcel heard someone in the kitchen. He thought it was his mom until he heard his dad's voice.

"Just give me Marcel! You don't even have a good enough job to take care of him!"

"You're not even supposed to be here Robert. Leave before I call the police."

There was a clatter of pans and Marcel peaked around the corner to see his dad pinning his mom against the wall. A puddle of water, and two pans laid on the floor.

"You're not calling the cops, you're calling a fucking lawyer so I can have my kid back!"

His mom tried to push Robert off but he held her in place.

"Let me go. Let me go and then get the hell out of my house."

She hissed, glaring at her ex-husband. Robert growled, grabbing a knife from the counter behind him and holding it to her neck.

"I'm serious! Call your fucking lawyer and give me back my son!"

"You were never home for him! Always out drinking with the guys or gambling all of our money away! You're a terrible influence!"

Robert swung the knife and crimson droplets splattered the ground.

His mom began choking and coughing, more scarlet covering the kitchen as it poured from her throat. The knife clattered to the ground as Robert seemed to realize what he'd done, and he looked up to see Marcel staring at him.

Both of their expressions were filled with shock.

Finally, Robert's face twisted into a scowl, stomping out of the kitchen as his mother stilled.

Robert was glaring at Marcel and pulled the tiny kid up by his collar.

"Never tell anyone what you saw unless you want to end up like her. EVER. Now let's go."

Marcel still hadn't fully registered what had happened, but he knew he didn't want to leave his mom.

He was being dragged outside by his arm, both of them covered in his mother's blood.

"MOM!"

Marcel shrieked, pulling as hard as he could away from his dad.

"Shut it, kid!"

His dad snapped, throwing Marcel into the back.

The neighbors must've heard him because the police were soon called. His dad was arrested and he was questioned.

His father's words haunted him.

Every time he opened his mouth to speak he wanted to scream, to tell everyone how his dad had killed his loving mother.

So he stopped speaking.

It was easier than refraining from saying what he wanted to.

—

However, people still found out about the murder. Nobody knew the details though, as that was locked away in Marcel's memory. That's why Ms. Whiler told him,

"You never do forget things like that, but you can't let it take control over you. Use it to make you stronger."

Marcel loved that advice.

He lived by it.

He hoped one day he would be able to open his mouth again and tell someone that same advice.

***

(Evan)

It was senior year. Well, it was the end of senior year. Tyler and Evan had managed to survive together in the shed, with Tyler getting a promotion and Evan getting a job with Ryan at McDonald's. Ryan and Evan got along fine at work, Ryan showing Evan the ropes and only getting a little annoyed when he made a mistake.

Brock had kept his living location a secret, but he came to parties so most of the guys didn't question it. As the time for colleges to be sending acceptance letters approached, that became the main topic of discussion. Everyone had a college they'd love to get accepted to. Tyler had, of course, declined any questions Evan had about where he'd want to go, but the smaller knew Tyler wanted to do something with psychology. Tyler just loved knowing how and why people think. It was why he worked at the therapy center.

So, Evan decided to help him. He knew Tyler would need money, so Evan checked his bank account that Tyler had helped him set up.

Tyler had been the one in charge of paying for things and he refused to let Evan help. Thus, Evan had quite a bit of money saved up, only using it for gifts for Tyler.

So, when Tyler was busy doing some end of the year project, Evan snuck out and took the car to the bank. He withdrew all his money (which was well over 20,000 dollars) and deposited it into Tyler's account. He kept about 50 dollars, deciding to keep at least a little bit for future interest.

Then, he drove home. When he got there, Tyler greeted him with a hug.

"Where'd you go off to?"

He asked with a smile. Evan could see bags under his eyes from the amount of overtime he worked.

"The bank."

Evan said simply. Tyler lifted an eyebrow, then asked,

"What were you doing there?"

Evan felt his smile grow wider.

"I was giving you all my money."

Tyler blinked in shock, then asked,

"Why on earth would you do that?"

Evan hugged Tyler again, and after a moment the taller wrapped his arms around him too.

"So you could go to college for psychology."

After a moment Tyler squeezed him tighter, and Evan could feel the taller crying.

"B-but...why?"

Tyler mumbled into his shoulder, tears soaking Evan's shoulder.

Because I love you.

Evan bit back the reply, forcing it back into the depths where he had hidden those emotions.

Instead, he told Tyler most of the truth,

"To repay you for all that you've done for me."

The two held each other for a long time, the sun warming them with its last golden rays as it set.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Your laughter rings around the facility as you begin to head toward the door..._
> 
> _**“1 chapter left…”** _


	27. Epilogue (Narrator)

College years came to an eventual end, some spending more time than others in their goal to learn about their passions.

Jonathan got his doctorate in Nuclear Physics.

David got his bachelor's in Nursing.

Craig got his bachelor's in English.

Marcel got his bachelor's in Special Education.

Tyler got a bachelor's in Psychology.

Brian and Scotty got undergrads.

Brock, Ryan, and Evan all didn't go to college, however, for different reasons.

Brock and Ryan shared an apartment as they both worked fast food jobs.

Evan lived with Tyler in their own apartment next to campus.

Craig and Marcel were roommates with Sean.

David and Jonathan were roommates with Mark.

The guys stayed in touch, although Jonathan brought them all back together after his several years of schooling.

He had purchased a house in the Colorado valleys near their old homes on the outskirts of Denver. The guys all immediately agreed to join him as he was beginning his invention business with David.

So they lived in the two-story house for a few years as Jonathan's business skyrocketed, pushing him to the limit of one of the richest people in the country. He built a larger house further in the mountains of Colorado, with a lab in the basement with enough space to perform any experiment he wanted to with his partner David. They had volunteer subjects come from all over the country to participate in the testing.

Mark and Sean piloted the injured subjects to the hospital in a helicopter, until Mark was out sick and Sean couldn't hear the alarm of the engine dying.

Neither Sean nor the two injured subjects inside survived the crash.

Mark, who majored in engineering, helped Jonathan design a smart vehicle designed to take subjects to the hospital faster and safer.

As the company grew, Jonathan couldn't handle the stress of running the company and designing products. So, Brock took it upon himself to become the new face of the company, creating the BBInc. Around this time, Brian's mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. She died soon after.

Brian, slipping into a depression with his father over their loss, agreed to become Brock's assistant to distract himself with tedious work.

Scotty began speaking in late 2016, surprising everyone, including himself.

It seemed he only wanted to speak on his own terms.

However, as he grew more comfortable with his voice he spoke more and more frequently, usually in the form of questions. Marcel quickly became one of the few people who could handle him for long periods of time.

From behind closed doors, Brock tried to help Brian through his depression. He tried his best, promising to not tell anyone even though they both knew Tyler would be better at helping him. However, one day Brock snapped.

Brian had been complaining of how difficult the loss of his mother had hurt and Brock exploded, screaming at Brian of how insignificant the pain of losing his mother compared to what Brock endured through most of his life.

Neither was the same afterward.

Brian grew quiet and submissive, following all of Brock's commands without question.

Brock held his authority over the heads of everyone, stalking around and asserting his dominance over the guys.

The only ones who didn't fear him were Tyler and Ryan. Even Marcel had begun to fear him, although not nearly as much as Craig or Evan.

Now it was the end of 2017. The guys were gathered at the dining table for lunch, Jonathan and David downstairs in the lab. They were having a quiet conversation when suddenly a shout came from the stairs.

"Brock! Brock, I think I've done it!"

Jonathan was hurrying up the stairs two at a time, a huge grin on his face. David was close behind, carrying his typical clipboard and notes with a matching grin to Jonathan.

"What?"

Brock asked curtly, looking at Jonathan in interest.

Jonathan opened his mouth to answer, but a tug on his sleeve from David made him pause. Then he said,

"We have an idea, but it's a bit of a stretch."

Brock stared at him for a moment, then asked,

"Well? What is it?"

Jonathan's grin turned into a smirk, and he glanced at David for a moment before winking at Brock.

"Give me two months, then come to the lab. We have a surprise."

And with that, the two scientists disappeared back down to the lab.

The table was left in a stunned silence.

"I wonder what that was all about..."

Scotty said, looking around the table as if expecting someone to know.

"Whatever it is, I bet it's brilliant."

Evan said, wearing a relaxed smile.

He had improved greatly mentally and physically since Tyler saved him from William.

The guys nodded, and the conversation turned to what the two in the lab could possibly be creating.

It had to be life changing if it interwove the guys together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _As you open the door, rain splatters your face. You laugh. It’s been years since you have felt water besides the showers back at the hospital. The water washes the majority of the blood off your clothes and body, but the crimson liquid stains your torn jacket. A city surrounds you, and you find that you have emerged from the basement of a building in the middle of the busy place. People walk calmly on crowded streets, taxis, and buses driving through several hours of traffic. The sound of people walking and horns honking fills the air, and a hazy smog hovers in the artificial breeze. You look at the improvised weapon in your hand, gripping it tighter before looking at the crowded streets with a malicious smile._   
>  _“Looks like we’ve got ourselves a bloodbath…”_   
>  _You giggle before launching yourself at the nearest person._
> 
> _**Interwoven- Part 2** _   
>  _**End** _


End file.
